


Ocean Eyes

by sun_summoning



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Marinette March
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2020-07-07 13:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 22,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19852513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sun_summoning/pseuds/sun_summoning
Summary: Marinette March prompts.#1 Kindness - Marinette helps Master Fu home after an appointment and runs into Adrien, who seems to think this is his Mandarin teacher?#2 Pre-origins - Aurore fixes Marinette's hair.#3 Tea time - Marinette learns a secret art meant only for Guardians.





	1. Kindness - Master Fu, Adrien

**Author's Note:**

> An anthology of my fics for Marinette March.

When Master Fu asks her to pick him up from his doctor’s appointment and escort him home, Marinette is quick to rush off to his side. She prays that this time there’s no prescription she has to pick up, and, fortunately, this is the case. Of course, this is only because he still has more of the pills from before. She helps him along the way to the metro station, until Master Fu says he needs a break and takes a seat on a park bench.

“This is where it ends, Marinette.”

Used to his melodrama in the face of constipation, Marinette just smiles. “Of course it isn’t, Master Fu.”

“I have lived a very long life.”

“And you’ll live even longer.”

“You are a kind girl,” Master Fu tells her. “I am so proud of you and all you’ve done.” He groans. “But this is the end.” He looks down at his pocket where Wayzz is peering up at him. “Thank you for everything, old friend.”

Shaking her head, Marinette stands. “You just wait here,” she tells him. “I’m going to get you some water, okay?” 

Master Fu acknowledges her with a grunt, and Marinette runs off to a nearby cafe. She decides to get him a fibrous lunch to share in the park. She soon gets back to where she left Master Fu and yelps when she notices he has a new companion.

Sitting in her spot, Adrien smiles at her. “Hey Marinette!"

“Master—er—grandpa!” Marinette shrieks, seeing Master Fu clutching Adrien’s arm. She laughs uneasily. “H—hi Adrien!” She sits down on Master Fu’s other side because she thinks she might be shaking. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a photoshoot nearby, but I’m on break so I went for a walk,” he explains. “Then I ended up here and saw Master Fu.”

“Master Fu.”

“Yeah.” Adrien clears his throat. “Do you, um, know each other?”

“This is...grandpa,” Marinette lies, lacing her arm through Master Fu’s.

Adrien blinks. “What a small world! I didn’t know you were related to Master Fu.”

“How do _you_ know grandpa?”

“He’s my...Chinese teacher. Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“He’s a substitute.”

Marinette looks from Adrien to Master Fu, mind whirring through too many thoughts and implications. Surely Master Fu didn’t go out and teach rich boys how to speak Mandarin on the side. But then why else would Adrien know him as Master Fu. 

Marinette has an idea, but she does _not_ want to go there.

Finally, she laughs awkwardly and turns to Master Fu. “Grandpa!” she scolds. “You know you shouldn’t be working anymore.”

“Ah, but sometimes I can’t help but answer a call for assistance,” Master Fu replies. He pats Marinette’s hand. “I’m sure you can understand, yes?”

Master Fu reaches for the food she’d brought back for them to share. “Perhaps Adrien would like to join us for lunch?” he suggests, nodding at the jambon-beurre.

Adrien’s eyes widen at the prospect of carbs and Marinette’s heart goes out to the boy whose tastebuds are regularly underwhelmed. 

He rubs the back of his neck. “I couldn’t possibly impose--”

“Nonsense,” Marinette interrupts. She smiles at him, warm and welcoming, and places half of her sandwich in his hands. “Join us, Adrien.”

He accepts it, smiling back at Marinette and Master Fu. “Okay."


	2. Pre-Origins - Aurore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurore fixes Marinette's hair (pre-Origins).

They’re not in the same class anymore, but they were good friends in primary school, so Aurore and Marinette still like to hang out after class. Aurore waits for Marinette in front of Collège Françoise Dupont and frowns when she catches the sullen slump of Marinette’s shoulders. Behind her, Chloe Bourgeois shouts a number of scathing taunts. 

Aurore jogs up the steps to get to Marinette’s side. She grins at Marinette as she laces her arm through hers. 

“Hey,” Marinette greets in a voice so small that Aurore can’t help but glare at Chloe over her shoulder.

They make their way to Marinette’s house and into her room. They have a plate of snacks from the bakery and some drinks and when they sit on the floor munching away, Marinette is looking at her lap like she thinks Aurore might lash out at her too.

If she’s being honest, Aurore _does_ want to yell. Why do you let her talk to you like that? she wants to press. But Marinette has always been shy, always been unsure, and Chloe has always been unbearably awful.

Aurore bites down the lecture on confidence that sits at the tip of her tongue and scoots closer to where Marinette is sitting.

“Let’s do makeovers,” she suggests.

Marinette glances down at the textbook she’d taken out. “But you’re supposed to be helping me with my physics homework.”

Aurore waves a hand. “We can do that later.”

Since they were kids, makeovers generally consisted of Marinette dressing Aurore up in some lazily stitched outfits and Aurore putting Sabine’s makeup on Marinette’s face and then doing her hair.

“But I--” Marinette bites her lip. “I had a hard time listening to today’s lesson,” she admits. 

“How come?” Marinette doesn’t reply. She just shakes her head, and Aurore is certain that this is Chloe-related. She decides she’ll press Nino or Kim for an explanation tomorrow. Sighing, Aurore stands and pulls Marinette up with her. She guides Marinette to sit in front of the mirror and then grabs a brush.

“What are you doing?” 

“Not sure yet,” Aurore replies. She takes the ribbon out of Marinette’s hair, letting the bun she wears it in fall loose. She runs the brush through her dark locks and pouts over how gorgeous and thick it is. “I’m so jealous of your hair,” she grumbles. “Why can’t _mine_ be shiny and perfect?”

“Your hair is pretty.”

“Not as pretty as yours--” Aurore blinks when she hits not a snag, but a crumpled piece of paper. She plucks it out gingerly. When Marinette notices it, she turns red.

“Chloe kept throwing paper at me during class today,” she quietly admits. “She says--” Marinette’s face scrunches in distaste. “Apparently my hair is gross and barely good enough for holding scraps of trash.”

Aurore whips the paper into the trash, imagining it was that awful bully’s face. “Marinette, Chloe Bouregois is a waste of air with zero redeemable qualities.”

Marinette whips around, horrified. “You can’t say that!”

“Why not?”

Marinette looks around the room as if Chloe could just pop out at any moment. “You just...you can’t. It’s mean!”

“She’s mean.”

“She’s just...I think she just misses her mom.”

“Cool backstory. Still bullying.”

The drawled insult makes Marinette snort, which makes Aurore giggle. They meet eyes through the mirror and soon they’re full on laughing. Aurore drops the brush on the desk and holds Marinette’s shoulders for balance.

“Really though,” Marinette says, “what are you doing with my hair? You’ve been brushing it for way too long.”

“So impatient.” Aurore tugs at a lock, making Marinette yelp. Then she divides the hair down the middle. “Fine, fine.” 

She picks two ribbons out of Marinette’s collection of them and ties one side and then the other. When she’s done, she rests her chin over Marinette’s head and then flicks the two pigtails she gave her.

“Look.” Aurore grins. “Now we match.”

Marinette matches her smile. It’s small, but she’s happy, and for that Aurore is grateful. Marinette is one of the kindest people she knows and she deserves the world.

“Do you like it?”

Marinette nods almost shyly. She plays with one pigtail and bites her lip. “I like it.”

“Well then, I suppose we can continue with our makeovers.”

Soon they both wear haphazardly blended eyeshadow and lipsticks that don’t particularly suit them. Marinette dons a dress that she’d made the month before after excitedly explaining the process of its creation to Aurore. When she’s done, Aurore runs her fingers over the scraps of fabric Marinette has lying around curiously. 

“Can you make me a dress?” Aurore requests. Of course, it would only be something roughly held together from the various materials in Marinette’s room just for their game.

“Of course!” Marinette looks positively ecstatic here in her element. “What did you have in mind?”

Aurore grins at the bolts of fabric. “I was thinking something purple...”


	3. Tea Time - Master Fu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Fu teaches Marinette a secret meant only for guardians.

Sometimes Marinette visits Master Fu to help out around the house, sometimes she’ll cook him dinner, and sometimes they just share some tea and chat. She likes to learn what he knows about the magic of the miraculous, but she also acknowledges that his past is a sore subject and never tries to force the topic. 

Today, Marinette makes the tea. She adds the leaves to the pot and pours the boiling water on top. She brings the pot to the table, along with two cups. Tikki and Wayzz said they would pass on tea time when she announced that she was making it, so Marinette doesn’t bother bringing cups for them.

“Thank you, Marinette,” Master Fu says as he accepts the drink she poured. 

Marinette settles at her side of the table. “So Master Fu--”

She’s cut off when Master Fu’s face twists up in agony, he spits the tea all over the table, and begins clawing at his mouth. “Blegh--what _was_ that?!”

“What do you mean?” Marinette takes a sip of her own cup of tea. “It tastes fine to me.”

Master Fu glares at her. “This tea is nothing more than...than hot leaf juice!”

“That’s what all tea is, Master Fu!”

His jaw drops. He looks at Wayzz and Tikki who seemed to have had an idea of what Marinette’s tea making skills were like and opted to not join the party for that reason. Shaking his head, he turns back to Marinette. He eyes her earrings and wonders if she is still truly worthy.

“Okay, fine, Mama says my tea can be a bit ‘bracing’ -- whatever that means -- but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! It tastes fine to _me_.” Marinette slumps against the table, her lower lip jutted out in an intense pout. “Fine. Then can you show me how to make it _better_?”

Master Fu blinks, taken aback by her grace in the face of criticism. Then he shakes his head, because of course she’s like this.

Tikki gives him a wink and Master Fu smiles.

“Come,” he says, grabbing the pot and heading towards the kitchen. “It’s time to learn a secret only the guardians know.”

Marinette immediately perks up. “Are you going to show me what else I can do with my yoyo? Am I going to get wings? Are you going to introduce me to the other kwami? Is there dragon miraculous?”

Master Fu shakes his head. “This is something even better than that.”

“Is there a _hamster_ miraculous?!”

"You’re going to learn how to brew the perfect pot of tea.”


	4. Affection - Sabine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine learns her daughter is Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17639939).

When Marinette comes home after dealing with the latest akuma, it’s well into the evening. Sabine had told Tom to leave her be when he tried calling her down for dinner, claiming that Marinette was taking a nap. After they wash the dishes and he goes to the living room to watch the news, Sabine makes her way back up to Marinette’s room and finds her shuffling down the ladder.

“Mama!” Marinette looks startled by her presence. “Er. Hi. Why…what are you doing in here?”

Sabine huffs, baffled that Marinette could even ask that. She points downstairs and orders Marinette to shower while she gets her something to eat. Marinette glances up at her bed before doing as told. She might be Paris’ resident superheroine, but she’s still Sabine’s little girl. 

As she waits for Marinette to finish, Sabine thinks back to the past afternoon and the reveal Marinette probably would have hidden from her for her entire life if she could. 

Her daughter is Ladybug. Her daughter is _Ladybug_.

An hour later, Marinette is seated on the floor eating leftover quiche while Sabine sits on her desk chair behind her. She runs a brush through Marinette’s damp hair. Marinette grunts when Sabine hits a tangle, complaining that she’s too rough, but Sabine rolls her eyes and continues her already gentle work.

“Mama--” Marinette scowls at her. She shoves the rest of the quiche into her mouth and looks utterly ridiculous with her stuffed cheeks. “Ow!”

“Oh, hush. You used to love when I played with your hair.”

“Yeah,” Marinette grumbles, “when I was a kid.”

“Marinette, you’re fourteen. You’re _still_ a kid.” The reminder of her age silences them both. Marinette’s shoulders fall, so Sabine rests her hands on them and presses a kiss upon the crown of her little girl’s head. “Pigtails,” she murmurs, considering Marinette’s hair and how she always wears it and how Ladybug wears hers too. “Honestly—how did I not _see_?!”

“Mama, you have to stop thinking like that...”

“Marinette, I’m sorry.” Sabine slides off the chair and onto her knees. She wraps her arms around her daughter, hugging her from behind. “I’m so sorry for every time I was angry with you when you were behaving oddly, for how I’ve reacted to your attendance issues, for how exasperated I’ve been--”

Marinette squirms until she can turn around. She smiles at Sabine, forgiving and reassuring. “It’s okay, Mama. I’m sorry too.”

That makes Sabine scoff. The tears in her eyes fall as she cups Marinette’s face. “And who would have thought I’d have to say that I’m sorry for raising you to be too good? Much too good.” Her thumb traces a path down Marinette’s cheek, drawing tears this heroine will never have the freedom to shed. “You carry the weight of this entire city on your shoulders, Marinette. You shouldn’t have to apologize for other people’s mistakes as well. You’ve done _nothing_ wrong.”

Marinette looks startled, as if this has never occurred to her. Her lips quiver and she bows her head. Still, she doesn’t cry. She releases a deep breath and while only a fraction of the tension in her body ebbs, that’s enough for now. When she raises her head, she’s grinning.

“I mean I do sneak out on a regular basis,” she jokes.

“Then I suppose you’ve done _some_ things wrong.”

Marinette giggles and Sabine shakes her head. 

“I won’t force you to tell your father,” Sabine says, “and I won’t tell him either, but I hope you tell him yourself because you need support.” Sabine carries on, interrupting whatever argument Marinette might try making. “You need support, Marinette. And while I definitely do not like the thought of my daughter being one of two people that defend Paris against a terrorist, I also know you won’t listen to me if I tell you to stop.”

Marinette nods slowly, as if processing the possibility of actual assistance. “I’ll consider it,” she offers after a long moment. 

Sabine accepts, taking what she can. She looks at Marinette, at Ladybug, and still reels over this revelation. She smiles and Marinette smiles back. 

She leans into Sabine and rests her head upon her shoulder. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, Marinette.”


	5. Garden - Tikki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette grows plants to share with those she loves.

Tikki loves the Dupain-Cheng household from its bakery, to Marinette’s bedroom, to the balcony overlooking the city. She loves how the entire home thrives with creation between Marinette’s talented parents in the kitchen and Marinette’s own brand of designing in her room. She also loves the garden Marinette and her mother carefully cultivate upstairs. 

There’s the bonsai tree that Marinette says is older than she is, the planters on the railings full of roses, the pot of lavender, and then the irises. 

Since learning that Tikki is rather fond of plants, she’s added to the garden upstairs and even made a mini one in her bedroom. Inside, Marinette keeps a cluster of succulents and cacti and one potted lucky bamboo so that Tikki can sleep among the flora if she wants to.

One day Tikki catches Marinette gently twisting leaves off of one of the succulents. 

“Are you propagating them?” Tikki asks.

“Yup.” Marinette places the piece on top of a small container of soil. So far there’s about a dozen leaves waiting for the raw end to form something of a callous. “Did you not see the ones from last month?”

Tikki shakes her head, so Marinette motions for her to follow her up to the balcony.

“They’re just getting some sun right now,” Marinette explains as she shows Tikki another container full of soil, this time with a separate set of leaves that all have little roots sprouting out from their bases. 

Tikki grins. “You’re doing such a great job, Marinette!”

Marinette blushes and then smiles. “Normally Mama has to help me with gardening, but I’m glad I was able to do this on my own.”

Tikki floats down to the propagations and revels in the new life among them. “You’re going to grow so many more new plants!” She’s positively preening as she considers the even bigger garden that’ll be up here.

“Actually, I thought I would give these ones to my friends,” Marinette says. She glances at the stack of tiny pots in the corner. 

She chews her lip, suddenly shy, so Tikki pats her cheek. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Marinette.”

“Yeah?”

“Plants are such lovely gifts! Especially ones that you grew yourself.”

“Thanks, Tikki.” Then Marinette grins, a devious glint in her eyes. “Want to see the plant I’m growing for Chat Noir?”

Tikki only sighs when Marinette shows her a pot of catnip.


	6. Creation - Plagg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a present for Plagg.

Marinette grins when she remembers the look on Chat Noir’s face when she asked him, “Hey, can you tell your kwami to come to my place later tonight?” He took a good moment to gawk at her, eyes narrowing in jealous indignation, before pouting so hard that his nose wrinkled beneath his mask, and he grudgingly agreed.

Plagg arrives a few hours later, right before Marinette is about to go to sleep, so Tikki is quick to yell at him for taking his time.

“Where were you?”

“What?” Plagg shrugs. “I had second and third dinners to eat, Sugar Cube.”

Tikki glares at him. “My Chosen asked you to come by because she has a gift for you and you made her wait so you could have two more dinners?” 

“I was hungry! I missed second breakfast today.”

Before Tikki can scold him any further, Marinette places a circular box with a green ribbon tied around it in front of Plagg. “This is for you.”

Plagg eyes it suspiciously. “What is it?”

“Just take it,” Tikki grumbles.

Still watching them with caution, Plagg unties the ribbon and removes the lid. When he sees what’s inside, his jaw drops. Plagg spends a few speechless moments gazing at his present. Finally, he looks up at Marinette.

“You made this…for me?”

Marinette nods. “I was watching some random how to make so-and-so videos online and then YouTube recommended a video on cheese-making and then somehow I got to camembert. Then I remembered Chat Noir mentioning how much you love this stuff and thought you might like it?” She shrugs as a pretty pink dusts her cheeks. “It’s probably not as good as the stuff Chat Noir gets you from actual fromageries and this was my first attempt, but I hope it’s good enough...”

“But why?”

Tikki just makes a noise of amusement before flying off to rest in the little cubby Marinette set up for her. 

Marinette rubs one arm awkwardly. “Well, you like cheese, don’t you?”

“Yeah?”

“Then...here’s some cheese.”

“Huh?”

Marinette flushes even further at his response, never failing to feel awkward in moments like these. But she’d never stop them. She loves making things for people she cares about, especially when she knows they’ll truly enjoy her little creations.

Tikki throws a button at him. “Marinette’s just nice, Plagg. She makes me all sorts of different cookies, you know.”

“Huh?” Plagg turns back to Marinette, considering her with confusion. “You just made cheese for me...just because?”

She laughs. “I guess so--”

Plagg cuts her off by smacking her in the face with his entire body, hugging the left side of her head and actually nuzzling her hair.

“Thank you!” he practically screams. “This is amazing!”

He pulls back and Marinette giggles. “You haven’t even tried it, Plagg.”

He zooms down to the box and uses the little knife Marinette brought up to cut out a wedge. It oozes just the right amount and utterly reeks the way he likes it. Plagg shoves the piece into his mouth, assesses it, then moans in delight.

“Listen,” he begins sagely, “anytime you want to give being Chat Noir a go, let me know.” He cuts off a second piece and waving the knife in the air. “Not permanently, of course. My kid’s great. But I wouldn’t mind some homemade cheese once in a while, you know?”

“I’ll think about it,” Marinette says as she winks at Tikki.

Plagg doesn’t pick up on her teasing tone, too busy gorging himself. When he’s finished nearly half, he decides to save the rest for when he gets home and says maybe he’ll even share some with Chat Noir.

“I don’t think Chat Noir actually likes camembert, Plagg.”

“All the more for me then.”

Marinette gets a handkerchief for him to wrap the box in and then helps tie that around his body. Seeing as the container is literally larger than Plagg, she’s a little apprehensive about sending him off like. 

“Er...do you want me to maybe drop you off?” she suggests. “Uh. Not at Chat Noir’s house, I mean! Well, I mean, um, nearby, that is--”

“I’ll be fine,” Plagg assures her. “I’ll guard this camembert with my life.”

“I’m glad you liked it, Plagg.”

“Let me know if you make anything else,” he says as he begins to fly away. “I prefer them ripe and stinky, but I am partial to a fresh burrata.”

Marinette pets him and grins when he leans into her touch. “I’ll keep that in mind.”


	7. Side Effects - Manon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is cold. Very, very cold.

“I’m sorry it’s ugly,” Manon says. Her head is bowed as she talks in the smallest voice Marinette has ever heard coming from this little girl that’s always seemed larger than life. She means to wring her hands, but ends up mangling the red scarf she’d knitted for Marinette.

“But Manon,” Marinette replies, catching her chin to make sure Manon’s looking at her. Marinette smiles. “It’s beautiful.”

Manon grins, revealing her newly grown front teeth. “It’s kind of boring. I forget how to purl when you’re not here to help me, so it’s all knit stitches.”

Marinette carefully assesses Manon’s work. “Knit stitches by a master, nevertheless.” 

It’s winter, a cold one at that, and when everyone is shivering, Marinette is absolutely freezing no matter the many layers she bundles herself in. She’s tired most of the time, and in a permanent state of wishing she could just hibernate. Tikki warned that this is a side effect of her miraculous and apologized, but Marinette just pulled her dear kwami into the folds of her shawl so Tikki could keep warm too.

Since then, Marinette has kept her room fairly toasty with the heater always on high. Now she wraps Manon’s scarf around her neck and nuzzles the softness brushing against her nose. 

She pulls her basket of yarn over to where they’re seated and hands Manon the shade of blue she’s always loved along with a set of needles. “Why don’t we practice some squares?” Marinette suggests. “We’ll just do some basic stuff.”

Manon is already forming a slipknot to hook over one needle. “What should I do?”

“Knit two, purl two?”

“Okay!”

Marinette watches Manon work, the girl’s tongue peeking out as she knits and purls with careful concentration. She narrates her actions to remind herself of when to switch the position of the needles. When she’s more of less completed a square, she holds it up for Marinette. The stitches are all evenly spaced, a vast improvement from how Manon worked in the beginning.

“Very good,” Marinette tells her. She ruffles Manon’s hair, making the girl giggle. “You’re so talented, Manon!”

“Only because you’re such a good teacher.” Manon leans over and wraps her arms around Marinette’s middle. “Thank you, Marinette.”

“Now, now--I do expect some sort of payment,” Marinette teases. "Perhaps a matching hat?”

Manon grins up at her. “Mittens, too!”


	8. Partner - Chat Noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never feed a stray.

She should have known better than to feed a stray. After all, it would just keep coming back. But Marinette has always been impartial to blond-haired, green-eyed boys, and the one with cat ears is definitely one of her favourites. After weeks of Chat Noir stopping by during his patrol or on his way home after akuma attacks, she shouldn’t be surprised when he shows up again, bats his kitten eyes at her, and asks if she has any leftover croissants she might want to share with him. 

Marinette scoffs at him, because the last time she did that, he’d run off while telling her he hoped their paths would croissant again.

This time Marinette is prepared. She sits on her balcony nursing a cup of tea. She’d even decided to bring up a second one in case a certain cat chose to join her. When he arrives, beaming at her like she’s the sun, Marinette looks down at her teapot to ignore anything that smile of his might make her feel.

“Were you waiting for company, princess?” Chat Noir drapes himself over the second seat.

“Not yours.”

“Meowch.”

Marinette puts her cup down and despite her teasing, pours some tea for him. She hands him the cup and he accepts it gratefully.

“So.” Chat Noir shifts forward. “What are we having this tea with?”

Marinette cocks an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You know, like--” Chat Noir makes a motion with his hand. “Snacks?”

“It’s nearly midnight,” Marinette points out. “We’re not eating this late.”

“What?” Chat Noir visibly sags. He pouts so prominently as he pleads with her. “But priiiiiincesssssss, I’m huuuuuuuungry.”

Marinette tries not to smile, because he’s kind of adorable and she kind of expected this. “I’m just teasing,” she tells him. After all, she has something special just for him.

Chat Noir is practically preening. “What is it? Madeleines? Pain au chocolat?” He pauses to think before his eyes grow wide. “ _Spinach and salmon quiche_?!”

“Even better!”

“What can possibly be better than Tom and Sabine’s spinach and salmon quiche?!”

“This!” Marinette pulls out an apple and when Chat Noir’s face drops, the life draining away from his eyes, she cackles. 

Chat Noir scowls at her. “I always feared that Hawkmoth was someone that mattered to me,” he bemoans, “but I never thought it would be _you_ , Marinette. Because only Hawkmoth could be so _evil_.” He holds a clawed hand over his heart while the other rushes to his forehead. He swoons back into his chair and whines. “Goodbye, cruel world--ow!” He yelps when the apple lands on his stomach. It almost rolls away, but he catches it on reflex.

“Look,” Marinette begins, “I realize you’re a teenage boy and if you could have your way, you’d eat every pastry in this bakery—” 

“That is accurate.” 

“—however, that’s not actually how nutrition works.” Marinette gestures to the apple. “Also it really _is_ late, so unless you tell me you didn’t eat all day, this is all you get.” 

“You’re killing me, princess.” Still, he bites into the apple. He is, after all, a teenage boy, and while he’d definitely eat all the pastries, he’s down to eat this apple too. "For the record, an apple a day will not keep this cat away.” 

Marinette rolls her eyes. “I expect nothing less.” 

“If I come back tomorrow, will there at least be cookies?” 

“Sure, but they’re going to be flourless and full of raisins and have no butter—” 

“So cardboard.”

Marinette just shrugs, working hard to keep the smug smile off her face. “Hey, at least if I got you a cardboard box you could sit in it again.”

“Ugh!” Chat Noir takes an angry bite out of his apple. “You sit in a perfect box once and she never lets it go.” He glares at her over his midnight snack. “That was _one time_!”

“Uh huh. We’ll see about that.”


	9. Dreams - Kwami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains S3 finale spoilers; alternatively titled "please please please let her get what she wants"

Marinette sacrifices one want after another without making a fuss. 

She lets friendships ebb away for fear of ever putting those she cares about in danger and she lets go of those she loves – _loves_ – because they could probably find greater happiness elsewhere. Photos on the wall by her bed go down one by one, as do posters. In place of them are maps of the city with pins and symbols that correspond to coded notes that only Marinette has access too.

She’s drawn away from her parents, who continually try to find the source of her silence, despite all their attempts to get her to open up. 

Her school grades, at least, are still fairing pretty well, but Marinette knows better than to hope that she might continue her stellar academic record with all the absences that will inevitably be in her future. 

The worst blow, however, comes in the form of an email accepting her to an internship with Gabriel. It’s a junior position that had an age range she barely qualified for. She applied ages ago and completely forgot about it amid all the changes in her life. This is an amazing opportunity, and she already turned down the one from Audrey Bourgeois. 

If she ever wants to be a designer, this was it, this is her _moment_ –

Marinette squeezes her eyes shut. 

She reaches for the bottom corner of her monitor and turns off the screen. She rolls away and slides onto the chaise and when she’s laying on her back, she still refuses to open her eyes.

She takes a breath and takes another. Inhale, exhale, repeat. And with every shaky attempt, one more kwami comes out to check on their new guardian.

Tikki watches them watch Marinette and floats down to Marinette’s scrunched up face. She’s holding everything in, working very hard to bury whatever she’s feeling, and they all know that that is hardly healthy.

“Marinette,” Tikki begins softly.

Her voice causes Marinette to choke. She inhales sharply before pressing her lips tightly together. She reaches out for a pillow to smother whatever cries might come out, and Mullo pushes it closer to her. When Marinette covers her face with it, the little mouse settles on her shaking hand.

“We’re here, Marinette,” Mullo murmurs.

Marinette whimpers, putting everyone on alert for any akuma. Tikki zips higher, watching the open window like a hawk. Pollen and Longg near the only current entrance and wait, ready to attack, while the others rest upon Marinete, hoping their contact might ease her ache.

They maintain their watch and their comfort for at least ten minutes. Nothing comes for Marinette, and eventually Marinette pushes the pillow away. She blinks up at them blearily, before smiling. It's tentative at best, but it's certainly a start.

“Thank you,” she tells them. 

Daizzi and Trixx just rush up her face. They begin to nuzzle her, making Marinette giggle. Soon, almost everyone else joins in.

Wayzz, however, floats beside Tikki, both kwami whose chosen have been passed the heaviest of burdens. 

“Does it get easier?” Tikki asks softly.

Wayzz glances at the blackened computer screen and Tikki follows his gaze. With a deep sigh, Wayzz shakes his head. He, of all people, knows how much Fu had to give up as the guardian.

“Come,” Wayzz says, resting beside Marinette with the others. 

Tikki does so sadly. Pressed against Marinette’s ear, she reminds her chosen that she’ll always be there. 


	10. Video Games - Max

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Marinette design a video game called Lucky Charm.

Max is happy to help Marinette build this video game after she explains her idea. You would play as Ladybug in a battle against an existing akuma. You would have Chat Noir as a non-playable character to assist you. And then you would get a setting, weather conditions, and a lucky charm. After that, you have to figure out how to use the lucky charm. 

Max thinks the concept is interesting and is a great way to work one’s creativity for a perfect puzzle. When he points out that they would need to come up with ways to use the various lucky charms (a spoon, a sheet of paper, and a stick of gum, among many others) in the different settings, Marinette shrugs the matter off.

“I can do that.”

Marinette is clever, Max knows, maybe even Ladybug-level at that, but he’s still a bit apprehensive.

“And don’t worry, I’ll write Chat Noir’s lines,” she volunteers. She wears a little smirk as she assures him she has that part in the bag. “It takes a lot to sound so lame.”

When they finish their project months later and show it to all of their friends, everyone is amazed and interested. 

“This is really cool,” Alya tells Max. “I’m definitely going to be up all night playing.” She flashes her phone. “I’m still stuck on the Stormy Weather level.”

“Same.” Nino makes a face. “I’m kind of terrible at it, but I’m digging the concept.”

“I guess this is what it’s like to be Ladybug, minus all the added pressure of making this stuff up on the fly,” Alya points out. Then she grins. “Man, she is just _so_ cool.”

Alya proceeds to fawn over Ladybug, so Adrien offers Max his own compliments next. “I really like the concept,” he says. “I think I’m going to be up all night playing this too.”

Max nods. “For your reference, we’ve only finished twenty-three levels so far.”

Nino groans. “I’ve literally only done two!”

The rest of the class neglects their studying to play Max’s game. According to what he overhears, most people are still stuck on Level 2: Stormy Weather, while a handful have gotten to Level 3: Lady Wifi. They all try to brainstorm how to use their lucky charm, but are dismayed when they realize that the charm and the setting are randomized, meaning they’ll all have different answers. There’s a lot of whining, but everyone seems to be having fun.

“You did such a great job,” Marinette says as she sits down beside him. “It looks like the game is a major hit.”

“Thank you,” Max replies. “Although I would say that at least 50% of the credit belongs to you.”

“Nonsense.”

“You’re right.” He taps his chin. “Perhaps more than that. It was, after all, your concept.”

Marinette just shakes her head. She opens up the game and he finds her on Level 20: The Collector. While Marinette designed most of the outcomes, there were technically hundreds, so he wonders if actually she remembers everything. He barely remembers the solutions himself. 

“Dammit, Max,” Kim grumbles from across the table. “Why did you have to make this game so hard?”

Alix sticks her tongue out. “It’s not Max’s fault you’re just dumb.”

Everyone laughs before they resume working together to defeat the akuma. 

Marinette pushes her phone to sit between the two of them. “Let’s play together?” she suggests.

Max presses the Lucky Charm button and they proceed. 


	11. Guardian - Chat Noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug can't be a guardian on her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written pre-Miracle Queen, so technically AU.

In the aftermath of Hawkmoth’s defeat, Ladybug requests that Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee return their miraculous to her. Without an active threat, she explains, there’s no need for any active heroes. And by trying to keep their miraculous active, they would be putting Paris at risk of a new villain taking Hawkmoth’s place. Naturally, Rena Rouge tries to argue with her, bringing up other problems like robberies and violence, but Ladybug reminds her of the authorities that are meant for those purposes and holds her hand open. 

They’re all sad about it, but they have this experience to share with each other. Maybe they’re not all the best of friends in their everyday lives, but Ladybug knows they were never as careful with their identities, so at least they’ll be able to support each other from there.

Rena Rouge tries once more to get her own name, but Ladybug shakes her head, tells her that it doesn’t matter anymore, and gives her goodbye.

She supposes she could have ended the image of Ladybug to some of her most devoted fans on a better note. This chapter of her life is over though, and what the world thinks of Ladybug now that they don’t need to think of Hawkmoth doesn’t really matter to her. He and Mayura have been taken away by the proper magical authorities and when his existence fades to nothing, Marinette wants Ladybug’s to as well. 

The best thing she can do as a future guardian, in her opinion, is not draw any further attention to these items.

This doesn’t just affect her though, so she heads out into the night to find Chat Noir and talk this through. After all, he is still her partner and she would never try to take his ring from him.

She likes to think he’ll be amenable to returning the miraculous until it’s needed once again. He could still have access to it and to his kwami just as Master Fu and Wayzz assured her that she could visit Tikki. And while the separation might hurt, she likes to hope that perhaps having a permanent friend in Marinette Dupain-Cheng might make things a bit better.

When she does find him perched above Notre Dame, he looks so sullen that Marinette thinks she’d do anything to make him smile. She hasn’t seen him since Hawkmoth’s identity was revealed to the two of them and then taken away last night. Chat Noir had been acting strangely since then.

“Hey kitty,” she says, landing loudly to announce her presence.

Chat Noir barely reacts. He smiles a little, but it looks hollow at best. “I heard you’re going around collecting everyone’s miraculous.”

Ladybug rolls her eyes. “I’m not going to take _yours_ , silly. Well, not permanently.”

That doesn’t seem to brighten his mood. Instead, Chat Noir turns away. “Maybe you should.”

“What?”

He grimaces, pain in his eyes and on his face. “My lady–I–” Chat Noir looks down. “Hawkmoth…Mayura–” 

He runs a hand through his hair as he thinks back to the events of last night when the two of them were the only ones left in the battle against Hawkmoth and his partner, against Gabriel Agreste and his newly revived wife.

“I know them.”

“Oh.” Ladybug comes forward, one hand grabbing his and the other holding his cheek. He barely grips her back and it’s a struggle to catch his gaze. If he knows them, then Ladybug can’t even imagine how much their battle last night must have pained him inside. “They can’t hurt you now, kitty. I promise.”

“I know.” He sighs. “But I don’t think I can be Chat Noir anymore, Ladybug.”

“That’s okay.” Ladybug smiles at him when he finally looks at her. “Because I don’t plan on staying Ladybug.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ladybug appeared when Hawkmoth did. I don’t see why she’ll be needed when he’s gone.” Her smile wavers. “And besides, I’m…I’m supposed to replace Master Fu now. Apparently I’m supposed to guard the miraculous and well, frankly, I’m terrified.”

Her confession seems to make things worse. Chat Noir pulls away from her. “Then that’s even more of a reason that I should stay away.”

“Chat Noir–”

“No.” He steps back but she still follows. “They know who I am, Ladybug.”

“But–”

“You can’t be a guardian and keep me around.” He shakes his head. “I’d be a liability.” Chat Noir laughs bitterly. “I’ve _always_ been a liability. How could I have never noticed?”

“Knowing Hawkmoth or Mayura means nothing,” Ladybug insists. 

“I should have known it was them.”

“You couldn’t have.”

“That doesn’t change anything.” He takes a deep breath. “You have the fox and the bee and the turtle already.” His fingers dance along the ring he’s kept close to him for years. “I think it’s time you take this as well and keep far away from me.”

“No.”

“Ladybug–”

“No!” Ladybug shakes her head, reaching for him until she finally holds him. He’s tense under her touch, but Ladybug maintains her grip. “Please,” she begs. “Not you. Not yet. I don’t care if they know who you are. They can’t hurt us anymore. We did it, Chat Noir. They’re _gone_ –”

“I _know_ ,” he snaps back. “I _know_ they’re gone. I am well aware that they are _gone_.”

She takes a breath. He does too and doesn’t say anything further. She waits because he’s hurting and if he’s hurting then she wants to fix it for him. Logically, it’s his relationship with their enemies that’s hurting him. But how? Why? Ladybug aches to help him and when he still doesn’t explain, she indulges herself with a moment of selfishness.

“Please, I…I need you,” she tells him. “I don’t…I don’t know how you know Gabriel Agreste and why this bothers you so much–” She doesn’t miss the way he flinches, “–but I don’t know how to be a guardian and…and I know that if I have you, then I can figure it out. So please—please don’t leave me. I know I’m being selfish right now. I’m so sorry. But _please_ , kitty, don’t go.”

“My lady–”

“It’s Marinette,” she blurts out. “My name is Marinette.” She blushes, realizing that she’s just blurted out the secret she’s been keeping for years. “I—sorry.”

He swallows. Then he nods gingerly. “No, it’s…it’s fine.”

“There’s no more Hawkmoth anymore, okay? He can’t hurt you. We have his miraculous and I would never let him. I promise you, kitty, it’s over now.”

Chat Noir huffs, wry and sad, like he’s sharing a private joke with himself.

“We can…we can share now,” Ladybug tries. He’s wanted to know for years. Maybe this would cheer him up. This has to cheer him up. “My name is Marinette.” He says nothing, making her falter. “And you…you’re Chat Noir. You’re my partner. Always.” 

She reaches out to him and is pleased when he doesn’t pull away. 

“So please don’t leave me. I need you. And I think…” She considers the sullen slump of his shoulders, the light drained away from his eyes. “I think you need me too right now.”

Chat Noir snorts. “I always need you, Ladybug.”

“Then stay with me.” Ladybug knows that she can save him from whatever Gabriel Agreste might have done to him and that he can guide her to be the best guardian she can be. She squeezes his hands and when he returns the gesture, she meets his eyes.

Chat Noir gazes down at her softly. “I can’t support you, Ladybug.”

“Marinette,” she corrects.

“Right.” He swallows. “Marinette.”

He begins to pull away and Ladybug panics as she follows his steps. “Please–”

“I can’t support you, Marinette,” he interrupts. “Not if you’re truly going to guard the miraculous. Not as Chat Noir.” 

He pulls off the ring he insists he no longer deserves and when the green light fades, Adrien Agreste smiles at her. The sadness lingers in his eyes, and now Ladybug knows why. She wraps her arms around him as tight as she can and holds his weight knowing he’ll always do the same for her.

“But maybe I can stay with you like this.”


	12. Phone Thief - Plagg, Tikki, Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Marinette steals Adrien's phone, she gets a little bit more than she bargained for.

Plagg isn’t too shocked to see Marinette breaking into Adrien’s locker during fencing practice considering she just called and she almost certainly left another embarrassing voicemail. She grabs it, and because fate and society and virtually everyone seems to enjoy torturing this girl, the door to the locker room opens again.

She curses, swipes the phone, and slams Adrien’s locker shut. Before she leaves though, Plagg grabs the ring Adrien was forced to remove for practice and then phases into Marinette’s purse.

Tikki glares at him, but they’re in public so she’s can’t exactly yell at him. It’s only five minutes later when they’re in the safety of Marinette’s room that Plagg makes his way into the open with Tikki trailing behind him furiously.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?!”

Marinette drops Adrien’s phone on her desk when she notices Plagg.

“What are _you_ doing here?” she screeches. Plagg is rather impressed with how quickly she moves into business mode. “Where’s Chat Noir? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Did he send you to get me? What’s wrong—”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what’s wrong,” Plagg says sourly. “Apparently I’m just a joke to him.”

“I…what?”

Plagg throws the ring at Marinette. “Ladybug, I choose you.”

“ _What_?”

“I don’t want my kid anymore.”

“Plagg!” Tikki shouts. “What are you even talking about?”

“Chat Noir,” Plagg begins in a strangely collected tone, “has expressed that he is…” Plagg shudders while Marinette and Tikki lean in with a mix of curiosity and concern, “a _dog_ person.”

.

.

.

Adrien rushes back to his locker after practice, eager to put his ring back on. He feels strange without it and somehow its weight always provides him with a certain sort of security.

He opens the door and when he finds neither his ring nor his kwami, he frowns.

“Plagg?” 

Adrien looks around the room, noting the other fencers, and sticks his face in the locker. 

“Plagg?” he repeats. His own voice echoes, so Adrien purses his lips, takes a step back, and takes a seat on the bench. 

That tricky little cat, he thinks glumly, probably snuck into someone else’s locker. Or worse, into someone else’s bag. He has half a mind to hide in a bathroom stall and shout ‘claws out’ in the hopes that it’d drag Plagg towards him, but he has a feeling that would only end in disaster.

A few students say goodbye to him, and Adrien’s sure to smile and wave. When they’re all finally gone, he begins his search with a glower.

.

.

.

“You can do this,” Plagg tells her. “Look, you’re already wearing the ring!”

Marinette yelps when she glances down and finds Chat Noir’s ring on her thumb. “What the—did you put the ring on me?!”

“Maybe!”

“Plagg!”

“It’s fine.”

Tikki scowls. “It is not fine, Plagg!”

“Just say ‘claws out’ and then bam.”

“I will not say claws out— _dammit_.” Marinette pauses, realizing she’s been played, and waits for the rush of magic she knows comes with the transformation.

“Tikki, what do I do?!” Marinette tries to pull at pigtails that aren’t there and then finds herself winding her braid around her fingers anxiously. “What are the words to get this off?!”

“I don’t know,” Tikki admits.

“What?!”

“Plagg and I don’t share information like that for security purposes, Marinette.”

“So…so I’m stuck like this until he lets go?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Marinette groans, but calms down because she knows how this process works. “It’s fine. I just have to use Chat Noir’s special power. Okay. I got this. I just have to say cata—”

She’s cut off when both hers and Adrien’s phones begin to vibrate with the city-wide akuma alerts.

Marinette looks up at the ceiling. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

.

.

.

Adrien isn’t too sure what his thought process was when he heard there was an akuma in the city, but it wasn’t too far off from his usual “attack first, think later” routine, which is how he found himself with a front row seat to a different black cat clawing at the enemy.

At first he thinks this might be another Copycat scenario, then considers it might be another Volpina sort of scenario. He stands there, trying to understand, when the akuma’s attention falls on him.

Before he can move, Adrien finds himself whisked into the other cat’s arms. She leaps onto the next roof and runs them away from the akuma.

“It’s okay,” the girl says. “I’ve got you.”

“Who _are_ you?”

“I’m Lady…Noire. Yeah. Lady Noire. _That’s me_.”

When they’re safely tucked away, she lowers him to his feet and Adrien truly takes her in. Her suit is simple, black with a green trimmings, and awfully bland without the standard bell. Her hair is pulled back into a long braid that resembles a tail, and a glance at her left hand shows him that she is indeed wearing his ring.

_His_ ring.

Adrien seethes because first of all, how dare she? And second of all, how _dare_ she?

But then smiles at him. “Adrien?” she prods. “You’re really quiet.” She touches his cheek and carefully scans him for any injuries. “Are you alright?”

Then it hits him. “Marinette?”

Her eyes widen almost comically. “I– _what_?”

“Marinette!” he repeats, pointing at her. He breathes a sigh of relief, because if Marinette had his ring, that meant it was definitely in safe hands (literally) and that she wasn’t some weird akuma. Adrien grabs her shoulders, and when her eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink, he’s absolutely certain that this is his friend. “I know I said you’re like a superhero, but don’t you think you’re taking things a bit too far?”

Marinette smiles uncomfortably. “Er. Uh…yes?”

“But if you’re here, where’s Chat Noir?” Adrien asks innocently. “Is your ring like his? Is it _his_?” He knows she couldn’t have taken it, but just how did it end up in her possession?

“I found it?”

“How careless. Where?”

“On the floor.”

“At school?”

“Yes.”

Adrien glares at Marinette, hoping Plagg can feel his frustration, but this seems to make Marinette falter. She steps back and Adrien feels terrible. 

“Sorry, Marinette,” he mumbles. “I just, uh, had an exhausting practice.”

Marinette does that painfully adorable thing where she grins while shrugging a bit. “No worries–”

They’re interrupted when the akuma does something that literally rocks the building. Adrien thinks he’s going to slide off the roof, but Marinette is quick to wrap an arm around his waist and vault them both onto a nearby balcony. She covers him with her body as she scans the area nearby. 

For someone who’s dealing with their first battle against an akuma, Adrien thinks Marinette is doing a really good job at playing the superhero.

It’s almost like she’s done this before.

.

.

.

With Adrien behind her, Marinette presses a button that splits the baton in half. Chat Noir likes to wave it around like a saber, buut she decides she’ll fight with a set of escrima sticks. Knowing her partner isn’t likely to show up and that Ladybug definitely isn’t going to show up, she runs to the lip of the balcony to leap onto the next roof. She nearly falls down though when Adrien calls out for her.

“Wait!” Adrien chases after her and grabs her arm. “Where are you going, Marinette?”

Marinette tries not to blush and swears she can hear Plagg cackling in her head. “Um.” She points behind them with one of her sticks. “Akuma?”

“But you’re brand new at this,” Adrien points out. He looks equal parts concerned and agitated. “Shouldn’t you wait for Ladybug first? Or Chat Noir?” Maybe more agitated than concerned. “Say, don’t you think the real Chat Noir is looking for his ring?”

Marinette is _certain_ that the real Chat Noir is looking for his ring. She glances down at the piece of jewellery. She can take to the rooftops and look around for her partner. Considering the akuma, she has no doubt he’s around here trying to find a way to help her. She wouldn’t be shocked if he showed up in a get up worse than her poncho and helmet ensemble from that time she’d been separated from Tikki.

“You’re right,” Marinette says. Then she smiles, aiming for the sort of suave Chat Noir thinks he is but always misses the mark on. “But until I can find him, you’ll have to settle for _Lady_ Noire.” She taps the tip of his nose with her finger, and when he blushes, she thinks she might be blushing too. 

“Marinette–”

“Stay safe, Adrien!”

.

.

.

That honestly wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Three kwami switches, four evaded interviews, and one hastily denied proclamation of a new hero in Paris later, Lady Noire stumbles into an alley and groans.

“Well, let’s never do that again,” she mutters, grinning down at Tikki, who’d been hiding away in one of her pockets.

“Yes,” a familiar voice says. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Marinette whips around so quickly that the length of her braid wraps around her neck. She untangles that quickly enough and regards the person before her, garbed in jeans, a black t-shirt that’s been turned inside out, and what could only be someone’s stolen motorcycle helmet. 

Marinette cocks her head to the side because he kind of looks like Adrien that time they were poorly disguised and running away from his fans–

“But I’d appreciate it if you could give me back my ring.”

“ _Chat Noir_?”

“You did some great work today, Marinette.” He crosses his arms and Marinette is impressed to see that apparently his muscles are real and not just padding he wrangled his kwami into adding to his costume for aesthetics’ sake. “I might have to tap you into some battles in the future.”

“Oh my,” Marinette says, deciding to have some fun with this. She extends the baton into a staff and leans forward on it the way Chat Noir often does. She hopes she looks sufficiently dazzled. “I don’t think I could ever compare.”

Chat Noir laughs as he puffs his chest. “Well, obviously you’re not nearly as experienced as myself and my lady, but I’m happy to show you the ropes.”

“Right.” Marinette stands straight as the staff shrinks back to the size of one of her escrima sticks. “I mean I was really curious about…” She regards her free hand with a sly smile, “ _cataclysm_.”

“Wait, don’t!”

“Oh!” Marinette blinks, feeling a charge of energy running up her arm. She regards her gloved fingers and the black bubbles of pure destruction that surround it. She looks around, considering what to use it on. Worst comes to worst, she can just pick up a rock or something.

“Now look what you did!”

Then, remembering the source of her Plagg-prompted problems, she latches her weapons to her back and uses her non-dangerous hand to pull Adrien’s phone out of one of her many pockets. 

(Honestly, she and Tikki need to revamp the Ladybug costume as soon as possible.)

She glares at the phone. Honestly, why did Adrien even have voicemail? What self-respecting person still had voicemail in this day and age? She nods to herself, tosses it in the air, and then grabs it with a hand full of destruction. When it disintegrates, she breathes a sigh of relief.

Across from her, Chat Noir is gawking. “What…why would you…whose _phone_ was that?!”

“Nobody’s!” Marinette waves a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

The ring begins to beep, reminding Marinette that she’s wearing something that doesn’t belong to her. With a wry grin, she plucks it off her thumb, leaving one black cat kwami to pop out before her. 

“Now _that_ was fun!” Plagg says. 

“Oh was it?” Chat Noir asks sarcastically. “Was it fun abandoning me when all you needed to do was nap in my locker? Was it fun nearly giving me a heart attack? Was it fun leaving my lady all on her own?!” 

“Was it fun telling everyone you’re a _dog_ person?”

“Are you kidding me?!” Despite his shouting, Marinette watches Chat Noir take hold of his kwami and cuddle him close. “I can’t _believe_ you, Plagg.”

Plagg has the audacity to shrug. “I was just testing out a new recruit for you.”

Marinette blinks. “Excuse me?”

Plagg, ever the little god of chaos, flashes her a cheshire grin before turning back to Chat Noir with a face of utmost seriousness. “Surely you’ve noticed that Ladybug has been bringing a few new players into the game.”

“And?”

“Well, now you have one too.” He gestures to Marinette. “I think she’d do well with the Mouse.”

Marinette can feel Tikki shaking in her purse, absolutely furious with Plagg’s antics.

“Or maybe the Dragon!”

“Oh my–” Marinette rubs the back of her neck. “I couldn’t possibly do this a second time. I was just so frightened running around those rooftops and fighting off that akuma.”

“That’s not what it looked like to me.” Chat Noir rests an encouraging hand on her shoulder and Marinette revels in the familiar gesture. “You were amazing out there, Marinette. Plagg is right.”

“Is he though?”

“Sure he is!” Chat Noir’s grin falters. “Just…maybe don’t abuse your powers too much, okay? I don’t know whose phone you obliterated, but that definitely wasn’t yours, was it?”

“That’s…that’s none of your business. Shut up.”


	13. Akumanette - Alya

When the akuma come, Marinette is normally alone. After all, it’s when she’s by herself that she can ever truly allow herself the luxury of feeling. But then she tends to feel too much and Hawk Moth senses all the frustration and anxiety of one burnt out teenager and soon comes an innocent looking butterfly. 

She’s worked on her meditating though, on how to handle her emotions, and when somehow she manages to present a complete absence of said emotions, the akuma turn away. Usually they try finding another target, but sometimes there’s no one and they literally just fly away. After that, Marinette transforms and purifies them properly. 

This time, Marinette has the blessing of a solitude when she’s trying to calm down. It’s a classic case of unbearable bullies and irresponsible adults and things somehow ending up _her_ fault. Really, she should stop being so bothered, but Marinette can’t help it. She has enough to deal with. Why does everything else have to be her problem too–

Marinette hears the akuma before she sees it. The second the flap of wings enters her vicinity, she closes her eyes, manages her breathing, and quickly finds her balance.

In. Out. In. Out. 

When Marinette eventually feels some semblance of calm, she opens her eyes. The akuma is gone, meaning it’s soon going to look for someone else, so Marinette looks around to make sure the coast is clear and she can transform. 

Instead, she finds Alya.

“I saw an akuma,” Alya says. She’s holding her phone with both hands, but she’s hardly focusing on what she might be recording. “It came in here and I followed it and it was going after _you_.” Her arms fall to her sides. The dazed look in her eyes fades and Alya’s face crumples. “Marinette,” she breathes. She says nothing more, unsure of what to say at all. “Marinette, are you _okay_?”

It’s a simple question, a silly question, but in light of the butterfly attracted to negativity, its presence comes with implications.

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“But there was an _akuma_.”

Marinette waves a hand and forces on a smile. “Yeah, they come and go.”

“They _what_?”

“They give up,” Marinette says, not quite elaborating. 

It’s not so much she calms down as she _shuts_ down. It’s probably not healthy, but it’s certainly been effective. And it’s not like anyone can help her find new methods of coping now. Peers and teachers and parents all seem so secondary when Paris is being routinely attacked by some terrorist. 

“They give up,” Alya echoes. 

“Exactly. It’s fine–”

Marinette grunts when she’s soon enveloped in a hug. Alya presses her against her, arms twined around her tightly. 

“It’s not fine,” Alya mutters into Marinette’s shoulder. “Okay? It’s not fine. If you’re being harassed by those stupid butterflies–if they come and go–it’s not–” 

Marinette pulls back because she can hear the tears in Alya’s voice. She has stray akuma to take care of and the last thing she wants is for it to come after Alya instead. She takes in Alya’s crumpled features and cups her face. “Alya,” she says. “No, it’s okay–”

“Stop that!” Alya shakes her head. “This isn’t about me. This about _you_!”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

“ _You’re_ not.” Marinette wipes away Alya’s tears with her thumbs. 

Alya traces the same path down Marinette’s cheeks. “How are you always so strong?”

“What?”

Alya laughs. “An akuma comes for you and somehow you’re comforting me.” She sniffs as she shakes her head. “Dammit, I’m such a bad friend.”

“You’re not–”

“Stop comforting me!” Alya takes a breath. She hugs Marinette loosely. “Something is wrong. Something you don’t want to tell me about. That’s…fine.” She looks annoyed, like she would rather have the truth because that’s just who she is, but Alya powers through. “I’d rather try helping you a little bit than not helping you at all.”

Marinette draws away so she can guide them both to the bench. She sits down and Alya does too, her thigh pressed against Marinette’s. 

“Was it Chloe?” Alya asks as she wraps an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. Marinette rests her head on Alya, so she presses her cheek into her hair. “Or school? Or Lila? Or–” Alya pauses, because even she felt uncomfortable at the sight of Adrien and his new girlfriend. 

“It’s nothing,” Marinette replies.

There’s obviously something, Alya understands. Or some _things_. And things have been going on for a while now if Marinette is able to wave off the concept of akuma coming and going. How many have come? How many have gone?

Alya grabs Marinette’s free hand with her own and squeezes. 

“This is too intimate,” Marinette complains. “Go away.”

“Shut up,” Alya grumbles. “You know you love it. Now you rest.”

“We have class!” And an akuma to track down.

“Screw class.”

Sighing heavily, Marinette closes her eyes.

Alya holds her tightly and maintains her vigil. No akuma would get to Marinette on her watch.


	14. Restore - Tikki

The pain starts in her ears. They’re torn, caked in a rusty brown, with dried blood sliding down them to matte her hair and stick to her neck. The ribbons have long since fallen away, leaving her with a mess of a mane that falls over watery eyes. Marinette looks feral as she fumes because Hawkmoth succeeded and Hawkmoth has her miraculous. 

It’s the comforting weight of Tikki in her hands that keeps her planning instead of panicking. The first time she ever removed the earrings, Tikki disappeared with them, but somehow this little god is keeping herself at Marinette’s side.

“We’re almost there,” Chat Noir tells her. 

He’s a comfort too. He hasn’t made any comment about her newly revealed identity, which, all things considered, is a true mark to his newfound maturity.

Marinette is tense in his arms, whirring with adrenaline to fight how much she aches after their physical altercation with Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth who has her earrings. But cradled in Chat Noir’s arms, she remembers that Hawkmoth doesn’t have his ring. They need to get the earrings back. They need to protect the ring even harder. They need to–they need to–they need to–Marinette winces when Chat Noir lands and thinks that maybe they need to bind her ribs.

But not yet. No. Not yet. 

She looks down at Tikki. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is soft and slow, a stark contrast to the agonized wheezes coming from Marinette.

They make it past the wards on Master Fu’s street and finally arrive at the massage parlour. Chat Noir lowers her to her feet. Marinette wastes no time rushing inside. Pushing open the door sends a wave of pain through her wrist and forearm, but she ignores it.

“We need to help Tikki!” she urges. “I–we–Hawkmoth got the earrings, Master Fu!”

The old man doesn’t ask how and neither Marinette nor her silent partner share. There can’t be much to say, after all. It’s obvious. She’s battered, bleeding, and her earrings were literally ripped away from her. 

“Tikki, you–you’re doing something, aren’t you?” Marinette looks down at her dear kwami and sobs. “You shouldn’t be here with us. How are you here with us?”

“That would be the power of your bond, Ladybug.” Master Fu wears a grave expression as he gazes down at Tikki. “Because of you, Tikki is able to stay corporeal right now.”

Chat Noir sucks in a breath. “But that won’t last, will it?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Chat Noir runs his thumb over his ring subconsciously and for a moment, Marinette resents him. Even Master Fu exchanges a look with Wayzz. 

Marinette pushes down a cry because she needs to fix this. She can fix almost everything with virtually anything and so she can and she _will_ fix this.

“There has to be a way,” Marinette insists. “Something—anything—” She shakes her head, tears of frustration brimming in her eyes. She laughs, something watery and hollow. “You can’t possibly tell me that the powers of a _god_ are based solely in a pair of earrings! That can’t be it. That _can’t_ be.”

Chat Noir reaches out for her, but Marinette turns away. “My lady–”

“No!” Marinette struggles to breath. “What if—” She looks around wildly and her hair whips around her bloody earlobes. “What if we made something new?” She considers Tikki and cries. “What if we tethered you to something else?”

Tikki, weak and unsure, looks at Master Fu. He frowns, a thoughtful furrow to his brow.

Marinette shudders in their silence. “You can’t tell me there’s only ever been this single set of earrings.”

“Marinette, you must stay calm.”

“I cannot be the only Ladybug who has ever lost—” Marinette cuts herself off, pursing her lips. “ _Please_. I won’t let him take you Tikki.” She doesn’t even know Hawkmoth’s endgame, but she has no doubt that whatever it is, Tikki will not enjoy it. She trembles, her voice falling desperately low. “What can I _do_?”

No one says anything, and for a long moment, Marinette’s ragged breathing is the only sound that fills the room.

“The miraculous were made from special stones that were blessed by the first wielders thousands of years ago,” Wayzz eventually offers. He speaks slowly, solemnly. “Plagg has _always_ been tied to the ring, and Tikki to the earrings.”

“But has anyone ever tried?” Marinette insists. “How were the earrings made to begin with then? What made the first wielders so special?”

Wayzz purses his lips. He glances at Tikki and then at Chat Noir, as if trying to find his kwami for another opinion. Finally, he explains, “The wielder and the kwami work together to power the stone. They both commit their strengths and their abilities to it with the intention to keep the universe at balance. The process requires a wielder of pure heart. Everything that makes up Tikki–you give your own to power the stone.”

“Then we just need a new stone.” Marinette doesn’t even consider what’s being asked of her as she looks around the room for something to use.

“Use this,” Chat Noir says, offering a charm he pulls out of his pocket. Marinette’s eyes widen when she sees it. “The jade stone–what if we used that?” He smiles softly as Marinette connects the lucky charm to the clawed hand holding it and then to the boy behind the mask that she originally gave it to. “It’s yours, after all.”

After a moment, Marinette shakes her head. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the lucky charm Adrien gave her–that, apparently, _Chat Noir_ gave her. She lays it down beside Tikki, taking in the bird of made carnelian.

“That one is yours,” she reminds Chat Noir. “But this…” She draws her fingers away from the orange beads and the unending support they represent. “I need this now more than ever.”

Marinette holds one end of the charm that her partner once gave her while Tikki rests her arm on the other.

“How does this work?” Chat Noir asks.

“Tikki gives her powers but…” Marinette frowns, truly considering Wayzz’s words, “I don’t have powers. I don’t understand.”

Master Fu shakes his head. “Of course you do. Your creativity. Don’t you know how much that guides you? Your way with the lucky charms, with designing and baking and doing almost anything. You’re brimming with the power of creation, Marinette, with or without Tikki’s influence.”

“But what about after?” Chat Noir questions. “Does Marinette…lose it all?”

“Yes,” Tikki replies. Despite the pain, she floats up to touch Marinette’s face. “You don’t have to do this,” she says. “We can try to get the original earrings back. I have never asked this of one of my bugs in the past and I would never ask this of you.”

“No.” Marinette shakes her head. “This is so much more important, Tikki.”

“But your dreams, Marinette.” Tikki’s lips quiver from heartbreak. “You need your own powers of creation–”

“I need _you_.” Marinette lifts her hands and Tikki drops down to rest upon her palms. “I need you, Tikki.” She takes a deep breath. “And Paris needs us. Paris needs Ladybug.”

Tikki falters. 

Master Fu clears his throat before she can try again. “If you truly intend to do this, then know that it doesn’t have to be forever,” he offers gently. “Not necessarily. As long as you continue wielding whatever you tie Tikki to, you’ll still be able to access your own gifts.”

Marinette leans forward and Tikki presses against her cheek. “Then that just means a lifetime with you at my side. That sounds lovely, don’t you think?”

“It does,” Tikki agrees. She floats back down to where the charm sits and resumes her position on its other end. “Thank you, Marinette.”

Marinette takes a breath. “Thank _you_ , Tikki. For granting me confidence, for giving me luck, for…for everything.”

She closes her eyes and Tikki does the same, both of them holding on to the orange beads keeping them physically connected. She wants to watch Tikki to see if there’s an action she should be copying, but she’s afraid to look. She trembles but stays steady enough because they _need_ this. Chat Noir and Master Fu and Wayzz need this. Paris needs this. Tikki needs this. And, if Marinette is completely honest, she needs this too. So she prays, offering to no one, to nothing, everything that makes her who she is. She promises to give up her dreams of designing if it means saving Tikki from servitude to someone like Hawkmoth. She’ll do anything if she can save Tikki and save the people she loves and save her city too. 

For a long time, Marinette feels nothing, but soon there is a tug. 

With a jolt, her eyes snap open and she finds the darkened room illuminated by a weak pink glow. The lights have shattered and the candles have all gone out, but between her and Tikki, the beads sit alight. 

She feels a brush of weight on her shoulders, and when she turns back, she sees the translucent form of a woman donning familiar spots. Her eyes are a luminous white, but the gentle smile she wears is unmistakeable. 

Thank you, she tells her without words.

With another flash of light, a few others garbed in masks and armour of red and black appear, all otherworldly and glowing. Soon, dozens more materialize, and then the room is full of these ghosts, all conveying their gratitude for the fallen god of creation.

“What–” Chat Noir gasps. “Who are they?”

“The previous wielders,” Master Fu marvels. “Tikki’s past chosens.” He smiles. “It seems they too would like to protect her from Hawkmoth and are offering Marinette their assistance.”

The spirits converge, all holding on to each other in some way to create physical links leading up to where their current Ladybug kneels. Marinette closes her eyes, concentrating on blessing the new piece of jewellery. 

I will give you everything, Marinette promises, if you give me the chance to save Tikki and stop Hawkmoth once and for all. 

She feels a rush of wind, and when she looks around, she finds the past wielders disappearing one by one as the stone’s glow grows brighter. She panics briefly, afraid to lose their support. But the closest Ladybug squeezes her shoulders. Marinette looks at her, and this woman presses her forehead against hers. Soon, she is the last one, and she bids Marinette good luck before fading away as well.

Marinette turns back to the stone, still glowing pink, and then sees Tikki at the other end of it, suddenly significantly more energized.

“Tikki!” Marinette calls gleefully. She’s about to pull away from her end of the charm, but falters. 

“It’s okay,” Tikki tells her. “You did it.” She floats up to Marinette’s face and wipes away the frightened tears sliding down her cheeks. “You truly are miraculous, Marinette.”

Marinette shakes her head. She lifts her hands so Tikki may rest in her palms. “The–it was the other ladybugs, wasn’t it? They helped me–helped us.”

“Always so altruistic, even in the afterlife.” Tikki smiles. “The old earrings should be nothing but fossils right now.”

“Hawkmoth will hate that.”

Tikki giggles and so does Marinette. Soon Chat Noir joins, as do Master Fu and Wayzz. Tikki zips down to get the bracelet they blessed and holds it out to Marinette. “I think it’s time for you to put this on, don’t you agree?”

“You need to rest first, Tikki.”

“I’m fine.”

“But–”

“The others healed me.” Tikki moves Marinette’s hair away. “And you as well.” Raising a hand, Marinette touches her ear and finds the lobe untarnished. And as she touches her middle, she finds the pain in her ribs missing. “For my bugs, it’s never just about a pair of earrings,” she tells her. “It was always you, Marinette. The power was always inside of _you_.”

“I…I…” Marinette nods, unsure of just what to say. She leans forward and Tikki nuzzles against her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Tikki.”

“I am,” Tikki assures her. “All thanks to you, Marinette.” Then she waves the bracelet around again. “Now put this on, won’t you?”

“Right.”

Marinette fastens her newly formed miraculous around her wrist. She grins, exhilarated and empowered. She meets Chat Noir’s eyes and already begins her planning. They have the element of surprise on their side, after all. Hawkmoth thinks he’s taken her down, so he won’t even see her coming.

Thank you, she thinks, hoping that somehow the past wielders might hear her. 

She brushes her finger over the orange beads and vows that she will end this tonight.

“Tikki,” she breathes. “Spots on!”


	15. Support - Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is rejected by her dream school. Apparently.

Adrien looks crushed when Marinette tells him her application to ESMOD was denied. 

“What do you mean?” he asks, as if the application was his own.

Marinette just shrugs. “I didn’t get in.”

In their last year of secondary school, Adrien has a number of schools he’s applied to both in and out of Paris. His father has his own ideas about where Adrien has to go, but Adrien has no intention of leaving this city. He knows Marinette only applied locally and into a specific niche. While everyone has had their share of admission offers to tell their friends about, Adrien realizes now that Marinette hasn’t mentioned anything.

“What do you mean?” he asks again.

“I wasn’t qualified,” she says simply.

Adrien scoffs. “That’s stupid. You’re more than qualified. My father thinks so. Audrey Bourgeois thinks so too!”

“Adrien--”

“Whatever. You don’t need them.” Adrien opens the browser on her computer and goes to her online shop. Marinette’s business has done well for and she even does commissions for people other than actual celebrities like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale.

“Screw ESMOD.”

“Yeah.” Marinette doesn’t sound all that enthused though. 

Adrien glares at the envelope with the school’s seal on it. He thinks that if they can’t recognize Marinette’s talent, they’re probably not that great anyway. But then he notices Marinette’s slumped shoulders, the way she’s just looking down and sighing in resignation.

“Maybe there’s a waitlist?” Adrien suggests.

Marinette shakes her head. “Adrien, it’s fine.”

“Let’s look at the letter!”

“No--”

Marinette reaches out, but Adrien opens the package from the school before she can stop him. At first he’s confused that they would send something so extensive to an applicant they refused. But then he sees a letter and realizes that Marinette was actually accepted.

Beside him, Marinette sighs.

“Marinette...” Adrien rereads the offer. “I don’t understand. Why would you say you got rejected?”

For a long moment, Marinette says nothing. Finally, she just sighs once more. “I can’t go.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just can’t.”

“Are you...worried?” Adrien smiles as he places his hands on her shoulders and gives them a supportive squeeze. “You know I’ll always be here to model for you or whatever else you might need--”

“I know. I just...can’t.”

“But--”

“Adrien, I don’t want to talk about it!”

He draws back when she shouts. Marinette’s face soon crumples and she swivels in her chair to rest an arm on her desk and her head upon that.

“Okay,” he breathes. “Fine. We won’t talk about this...right now.”

That, fortunately, draws an amused snort out of her.

“But can you do something for me, Marinette?”

She lifts her head a fraction and looks at him with glassy eyes. “What?”

“Don’t turn down the offer.”

“Adrien--”

“Don’t turn down the offer.”

Adrien has had suspicions about Marinette for a very long time and a move like this, willingly sacrificing a crucial step in fulfilling her dreams once again, more than confirms them. He pulls her chair over so he can give her a hug. When she sinks against him, Adrien tightens his hold. 

Marinette is going to ESMOD. Marinette is going to become a designer and succeed and she’s going to fulfill all of her dreams. And he’ll do everything he can to support his lady along the way.


	16. Triumph - Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawk Moth is defeated.

In the wake of Hawk Moth’s defeat, Marinette quietly cries. Gabriel Agreste is bound and unconscious, so is his associate, and given all the revelations of the past few hours, her partner is standing by his mother’s comatose body and mourning his losses. 

She knows she should go be with him now that he’s about to lose virtually every important adult in his life, but Marinette’s knees buckle and she sinks to the ground. There’s broken glass everywhere and it hurts. Still, she falls forward onto her palms and then onto her side and just lays there.

“It’s over,” she says, slipping onto her back. 

She sniffs, trying her hardest to hold back her cries. Adrien can hear her. She needs to recover all of the miraculous. There’s still _work_ that needs to be done. She tries to swallow her sobs and get back on her feet like she’s trained herself to do. Hawk Moth fed on those negative emotions, so Ladybug hasn’t really felt anything in years.

But then she realizes she doesn’t _have_ to hold back anymore.

Marinette chokes on a cry she doesn’t need to stifle. Her eyes are wet, are barely open, and her lungs feel constricted. Her whole body shakes as she weeps. She cries for Master Fu, for Adrien, for everyone who’s suffered under Hawk Moth’s reign of terror, but mostly she cries for herself.

“I’m free,” she realizes. She breaks down because she _can_ and when she struggles to breathe, it’s not from all the pressure. “I’m _free_.”


	17. Failure - Alix

After Alix knocks her on her butt again, Marinette decides she’ll just live on the floor now. After all, Alix has beat her down at least three times in the past ten minutes. Marinette opts for a starfish position under the guise of a deep shoulder stretch, while Alix nudges her with her foot. 

“Get up,” Alix insists. 

“Just leave me here to die.”

“Marinette!”

“I give up. I suck. I’m a failure.”

Alix just rolls her eyes. She picks up Marinette’s left foot and starts to pull. Rather than protesting, Marinette just blinks and says that that actually feels good, so could she please switch to the other leg. Naturally, Alix just drops her foot.

“Alix!”

“Get up, you lazy butt.”

Marinette scoffs. “I am _not_ lazy.”

“You’re laying on the floor when you asked me to kickbox with you.”

Marinette knows her own ability to fight is mediocre at best. She can react and she can dodge. Oh, how she can dodge. Ladybug’s suit makes her stronger and more agile, but Marinette doesn’t have a real basis for fighting effectively. And considering this fight with Hawkmoth probably isn’ going to end anytime soon -- not if future Alix’s appearance has anything to say about it -- then Marinette needs to up her game.

Not today though. Today is for wallowing, she decides, turning onto her side and then curling into a fetal position.

“Marinette!”

“Leave me _alone_!”

“Oh for--” Alix sighs. She considers the lump of lazy on the floor and after a moment, deigns to join her. Alix settles on her back beside Marinette and laces her fingers over her stomach. They lay there in silence until Alix breaks it. “So, like, is there someone you want to beat up or something?”

“What? No.” Marinette shrugs. “Sometimes I just feel so...so powerless. You know?”

“No.” Alix stands and this time she doesn’t give Marinette a choice, pulling on her arms until Marinette is standing too. Alix grins. “I never feel that way.” She slides into a fighting stance, prompting Marinette to do the same. “And you know what?”

Marinette dodges the jab Alix throws at her. “What?”

Alix grins. “I’ve decided you’re never going to feel that way either.”


	18. Fears - Mylene

They should have known better than to pick a horror movie. Marinette isn’t easily scared, but Mylene is, and Marinette regrets that they didn’t take that into account before starting their sleepover selection. Everyone is settled on the bedroom floor, sprawled over sleeping bags and air mattresses. Marinette leans against the wall, unable to focus on the creepy demon girl on screen while Mylene is clearly uncomfortable. 

Marinette picks up their bowl of popcorn and stands up. “Anyone up for some midnight snacks?”

Everyone makes an order for something from downstairs, so Marinette takes the opportunity to ask Mylene for help.

Mylene blinks, the call of own name startling her after all the jump scares on screen. Marinette only smiles until Mylene nods and follows her down to the kitchen.

“Thanks for hosting the sleepover, Marinette,” Mylene tells her.

“No problem!” Marinette replies. She gives Mylene the bag of popcorn to prepare in the microwave while setting some leftover pastries on a plate. “You know I love having you girls over.”

Mylene grins as she snatches a croissant and takes a bite. “And you know I love being here.”

The microwave beeps to let them know the popcorn is ready, and from the corner of her eye, Marinette notices Mylene flinch. She quietly takes the bag out, opens it, and dumps its contents into the bowl. 

“Pretty sure this is our sixth bag tonight,” Marinette says when she picks it up.

“Hey now, we’re just living our best lives.” 

Marinette begins heading back for the stairs, but when she finds Mylene reluctant to resume hanging out with the other girls and, by extension, finishing their chosen horror movie, Marinette puts the bowl of popcorn on the counter. She sits on one stool and grins as she takes a handful to snack on.

“It’s kind of hot up there right now,” Marinette tells her. She shrugs and stuffs the popcorn in her mouth. “Want to hang out down here for a bit?”

Smiling gratefully, Mylene takes the seat beside her and grabs some popcorn as well.


	19. New Look - Sabine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a haircut.

Sabine didn’t notice in the morning. Marinette had been wearing a hat and was in a rush and barely kissed her on the cheek before rushing to school. Sabine didn’t notice in the afternoon, too busy with a rush of customers as her daughter greeted her and ran upstairs. Sabine didn’t notice at dinner because Marinette claimed a stomachache and didn’t want to join them. Sabine does notice at night though, coming upstairs to bring Marinette some tea to soothe her stomach and a mother’s kiss because that always solved any ailments.

When she sees the change, her jaw drops.

Marinette cringes. “Is it really that ugly?!”

Sabine promptly shuts her mouth. Marinette is clearly self-conscious about this and the last thing she needs is her mother making her feel bad. And the truth is, Marinette has no reason to be. The bob looks lovely on her.

“Nonsense,” Sabine says, putting the cup of tea down and coming closer. She fingers the edges of the haircut and figures by the jagged edges that Marinette did this herself. “You look great, sweetheart.”

“Yeah?”

Sabine nods. “When did this happen?”

“Er, yesterday. When we were hanging out, one of my friends cut it.”

Sabine shakes her head. The girls always got particularly hyper when they were all together and loved to do silly makeovers, but Sabine never thought one of them might do something so lasting. She turns Marinettte around so see what patches she’d need to fix. It look as if someone literally _clawed_ her hair off.

“I think it looks great,” Sabine tells her once more, “although I think I might need to tweak it a bit.”

“Please.” Marinette sits down on her chair and Sabine grabs some scissors. 

They sit there silently, Marinette playing some game on her phone while Sabine carefully fixed the ends to give Marinette a more even bob. When she’s done, Sabine looks at Marinette’s reflection in the mirror and smiles. She puts the scissors down before resting her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.

“Well would you look at that,” Sabine muses. “It seems I have a copycat.”

Marinette giggles at their matching haircuts. “Well, why wouldn’t I want to be like you?” She sounds like she’s being insulting, but the words are shockingly kind for a teenager. “You’re the best, mama. I want to be just as amazing as like you when I grow up.” 

Sabine tucks Marinette’s hair behind her ears. She presses a kiss upon the crown of her daughter’s head. “Darling, you’re _already_ amazing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory:
> 
> Chat Noir honestly has no idea how this happened. One second he was reaching for Ladybug’s shoulder, and then the next, one pigtail was fluttering down to the ground. 
> 
> Naturally, she rounds on him with a glare. “You!” She looks down at the strands of black and her eyes grow impossibly wide. “You–you–you!”
> 
> “Oh shit. Oh no.” Chat Noir swallows thickly. “Ladybug–”
> 
> “My hair!”
> 
> Chat Noir cringes.
> 
> “My hair!” She reaches up, one hand threading through the loosened, shorter locks, the other holding the other pigtail in a panic. She inhales sharply and then looks up at him. “Do I look stupid?!”
> 
> “Er.”
> 
> “I look stupid!”
> 
> “You look amazing!” Chat Noir kneels down with her. “You always do–” He’s cut off when she grabs him by the collar of his suit, eyes blazing and hands trembling. “My lady–”
> 
> “You better run, kitty cat.”
> 
> “But you’re holding me so close.” He laughs nervously. “How could I ever want to run away?”
> 
> She releases him with a scowl. “I’ll give you to the count of three…”


	20. Dressed Up - Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien commissions Marinette for a cosplay.

Adrien looks the happiest she’s ever seen him as she presents him with the beginnings of the costume he’d commissioned. She tried watching a few episodes of the show it was from, but didn’t really pay enough attention. She just kept an eye out for the outfit because the character wearing it was giving her _way_ too much secondhand embarrassment.

And if she’s being honest, he kind of reminded her of Chat Noir with his silly poses and overacting. 

A few minutes later, Adrien stumbles out from behind her divider with the costume on. 

“This is amazing, Marinette! _You’re_ amazing!” He makes a show of waving his red cape around. “I look incredible!” He crosses the room to get the orange helmet he left on her desk. This piece he’d had to purchase off the internet. He pulls it over his head and the black visor shields his eyes. He slides into some ridiculous stance and tells her, “I am the Great Saiyaman!” 

Marinette nods and then winces at the way Adrien’s pose pulls at the seams. “Adrien, it’s not done yet,” she reminds him. “You have to be gentle.”

“Sorry!” He pulls the helmet off, revealing flushed cheeks. “I got a bit excited.”

“It’s okay,” Marinette replies. “You have your fun.” She feels bad for ruining his excitement. “Just be careful, okay?”

He nods as he puts the helmet back on the desk. Pointing at himself, he grins. “Look, Mari.” His blond hair is an absolute mess. “Now I’m the Golden Fighter!”

“Oh…okay?”

Adrien’s shoulders visibly droop. “You don’t know what I’m talking about at all, do you?” He pouts. “You said you’d watch Dragon Ball Z!”

Marinette grins sheepishly. “I did!”

“ _Lies_.”

“Fine, I tried. I just kind of zoned out and focused on your costume instead.”

Adrien puffs his chest, planting one gloved hand on it in a way that reminds her of Chat Noir. “Then clearly I need to stick around and make sure you pay attention.”

“Sounds like quite the burden.” 

“All for the greater good, Mari.” 

Marinette helps him remove the gloves and cape and then the green tunic. He keeps the black bodysuit on though, saying it’s comfortable. He crosses her room to get to her computer and Marinette considers him from behind, garbed in black and with his hair a mess, and–oh _god_ , didn’t Alya suggest this before?

“You really _could_ be Chat Noir.”

Adrien whips around. “What was that?!”

“Er.” Marinette laughs but it’s strained. “I mean. Next time. I can make another costume for you the next time you have a convention and you can, uh, be Chat Noir.” She stops her flailing to gesture at him. “You look very…Chat Noir-ish.”

“I–” Adrien swallows. “I don’t know. Uh. Maybe.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…”

“So.” Marinette clears her throat. “We’re going to watch Dragon Ball Z?”

“Oh. Yeah.” That certainly pulls Adrien out of whatever nervous stupor he seemed to have been in. He grins as he goes onto YouTube. “Actually, lets watched Dragon Ball Abridged.”

“I trust your judgement.”


	21. Tactician - Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Games Night, no one wants to play Catan with Marinette.

At Games Night, Kim vehemently protests to anything strategy-based. Alya insists on Catan, as does Mylene. Alix, knowing why Kim is being difficult, only taunts him, while Adrien sits with Max, who explains the rules to him.

“Stop being such a baby,” Alix mocks.

“As if you’re not thinking the same thing as me!”

“Dude, we’re all thinking it.” Nino grimaces while eying Marinette, who sits in her seat with a serene smile on her face that isn’t the _least_ bit smug. “Just gloat,” he mutters. “It’s worse when you’re trying to be humble.”

“Also, we can’t all play Catan,” Kim adds. “There are too many of us”

Marinette, ever the sweetheart, just nods, still wearing her kind little grin. “Of course, Kim. Let’s play something else.”

“Ugh.” Kim glares at her. “It _is_ worse when you’re being humble.”

In an instant, Marinette’s expression turns devious as she leans back into her chair and shrugs. “It’s not my fault you guys suck at strategy and always _lose_.”

“We do not suck!” Kim protests.

Max nods. “You’re just an exceptional tactician, Marinette.”

“Oh, wow. Gosh.” Marinette flips a pigtail over her shoulder as if this is brand new information. “Thanks.” 

“No Catan,” Alya does eventually concede. “Kim is right. Too many people.” 

Adrien looks disappointed by this, having never played before. 

“We can do teams?” Mylene suggests. She looks up from her phone and shows them a reddit page. “This person wrote some rules on how they play Catan in teams and it sounds pretty fun.”

“Hm…”

There’s a moment of silence before Kim all but launches himself over the table to sit beside Marinette. “Dibs!” he shouts, wrapping his arms around her. “Team MariKim is about to kick all your asses!”

“No way!” Alya says, pulling Marinette away from him. “Chicks before dicks, right?”

Marinette frowns at her, positively unimpressed. “You’re just using me.”

“I, Marinette, would never use you in my life,” Nino declares, “which is why we should be a team.”

Everyone makes their argument for why they deserve the best strategist they’ve ever played against on their side. Adrien just quietly sits across the table, so Marinette nudges his foot with hers to get his attention.

“Want to be my partner, Adrien?”

“I do,” Adrien tells her. Then his cheeks turn pink as he rubs his neck. “But I…I don’t really know how to play. And I wouldn’t want to bring you down…”

“Nonsense.” Marinette flashes an encouraging smile as she stands up to take the seat beside him. He looks positively ecstatic to have her as his partner. “We’ve got this.”


	22. Rare Pair - Master Fu, Marianne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette receives an unexpected visitor.

Marinette covers the last hour at the bakery while her father rests and her mother goes upstairs to prepare dinner. They’re almost always busy, but it’s a Sunday evening, and Marinette doesn’t expect much. She’s in the middle of stacking empty trays when the shop door opens.

“Hello!” Marinette is quick to greet. But she falters when she sees who steps inside. 

“Hello there,” Marianne Lenoir replies. The man at her side greets her as well as he considers what to buy.

Marinette swallows, watching warily as her predecessor considers the remaining flavours of macarons. He scans from chocolate to cherry to lemon as if considering the different miraculous to assign. Finally, he looks at her. “What would you recommend?” he asks.

Marinette grips the counter to stop her trembling. “P--perhaps--” She clears her throat. “Perhaps pistachio?” After all, green always suited Master Fu best.

“Two of those then.” He glances at Marianne and then grins at Marinette. “One for me and one for my wife.”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“Hm...” 

As walks off to scan the rest of the pastries, Marianne approaches Marinette. She looks grim and apologetic but Marinette shakes her head to tell her she doesn’t need to be.

“We’re rarely in Paris,” Marianne tells her softly. After all, Hawkmoth is still at large. “But we had to stop in the city today and when we passed your family’s shop--” She sighs. “It’s like he was _drawn_ to you.”

Marinette figures he was probably drawn to Wayzz and the miracle box sitting upstairs. 

“I’m glad to see you’re both doing well,” Marinette says. “If anyone deserves the chance to be together, it’s the two of you.”

“Yes, well...” Marianne trails off as she watches Master Fu fondly. He considers the few fruit tarts that Marinette remembered he loved to share with Wayzz, and then the chouqettes he would indulge in as well. 

“Is he...okay?”

Marianne nods. “He has questions that can’t be answered, but yes.” She smiles as she shrugs. “He doesn’t really dwell on the past considering he can’t.” She blushes like a woman in love, like a woman who finally gets to be with the love of her life. “We prefer to focus on the present.”

“I’m glad.”

And she is. No matter how angry or bitter Marinette might be in her darkest moments as the new guardian, she is truly happy that Master Fu has finally gotten to settle down with the woman he loves.

Master Fu returns with a few more requests for Marinette. She boxes them, adding a few extra treats on the house, and walks around the counter to give him the bag. 

“Have a nice evening,” she tells him, unsure of what else to say. He takes the bag and she reluctantly pulls away.

“Thank you,” he replies. He gives her one last nod. “Goodbye Marinette.”

Marianne looks startled that he remembers her name, while Marinette struggles not to cry.

“Goodbye,” she whispers as they walk through the door and out of her life once again, “Master Fu.”


	23. Family - Emilie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years later, Marinette fights a new enemy.

Marinette is at work when she hears about the first akuma in nearly a decade. She and most of the other girls are mindlessly chatting over their beadwork when another intern rushes in, wide-eyed and frantic as she declares, “It’s happening again!” Someone else asks for clarification, but the sound of everyone’s phone buzzing and beeping answers instead. Marinette looks at her own device, and dread washes over when she takes in the city-wide akuma alert flashing on her screen.

The other interns whisper with worry, but Marinette finds herself frozen.

It’s been eight years since Hawkmoth was quietly deposed. Ladybug spared her partner the public scrutiny, opting to turn Hawkmoth over to the surviving Guardians than to the Parisian police. Chat Noir was initially unsure of the idea, but he eventually agreed. They never did catch Mayura, but they did find the peacock miraculous among Gabriel Agreste’s things. They also found Emilie Agreste, said to be in something of a magical coma that the Guardians managed to reverse. While Emilie knew the truth about Gabriel, they never did tell her about their own alter egos. 

“What’s going to happen now?” a man beside her asks. He’s shaking, and that’s because Marinette remembers that he was once one of Hawkmoth’s victims. “Ladybug and Chat Noir are _gone_.”

That’s right, she thinks with a cringe. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir haven’t shown themselves since the night of Hawkmoth’s last akuma. In one fell swoop, Paris lost its terrorist and the heroes that were fighting him.

“It’s going to be okay,” Marinette tells him. She lays a gentle palm on his trembling hand. She takes away his sewing needle too, just to be safe. “Ladybug and Chat Noir will always come when they’re needed.”

“How can you know possibly know that?”

Marinette doesn’t get the chance to answer though, because soon someone is playing a live video of Chat Noir entering the battle.

With everyone sufficiently distracted, Marinette slips out of the room.

.

.

.

The Agreste mansion went out in a great blaze the night Ladybug and Chat Noir decided that the idea of Gabriel Agreste should die in a fire. After that, Adrien and a recovering Emelie moved into a luxurious apartment not too far away from his childhood home. 

Currently, Adrien lives with Marinette in their quaint one bedroom, but Emilie still resides in that apartment alone. 

Marinette stops there before joining Chat Noir in battle. She lands on the balcony and quietly sneaks inside. 

She considers dropping her transformation, before ultimately deciding not to. After all, if her suspicions are correct, it’d be best to be wearing some sort of protection. 

She shuffles across the living room and down the hall. The study door is the only one that’s closed, so Ladybug takes a breath and opens it. Inside, she finds her mother-in-law garbed in purple, the outline of a butterfly on her face as she mutters orders to someone who isn’t there.

Ladybug doesn’t gasp, nor does she sigh. She wants to close her eyes and pretend this isn’t happening, but that would be dangerous. She shakes her head. Humorous banter has no place here, but Ladybug chooses it in lieu of real confrontation. 

“Tell me,” she calls, “do you have your own name, or will you be using Hawkmoth too?”

Her enemy turns to her with a start. Her masked face contorts into something furious and ugly. “ _You_.”

“Me.”

Hawkmoth snarls. Her lips twist with dozens of questions she refuses to ask. What are you doing here? How did you find me? How did you find me _so soo_ n?

“First your husband. Now _you_. Adrien--” Ladybug regards her newest enemy with disgust. “You’re going to break his heart.”

Hawkmoth has the audacity to roll her eyes. “Yes, he’s always been so soft.”

Ladybug rages for her partner because how _dare_ she treat his kindness like a flaw.

“Alternatively,” Hawkmoth muses, “the one who will shatter him will be you.”

Ladybug narrows her eyes.

“How do you think he’ll be able to even look at you, _Marinette_ , knowing you’re the reason his father was taken away forever and now you’re trying to take away his mother? Must you ruin his family more?”

She laughs. She can’t help it. Ladybug shakes her head and tries not to feel trapped, to feel so _stupid_. “All these years,” she realizes, “you were just playing us. All this time, you’ve been pretending. You were just trying to distance yourself from everything Gabriel did.”

“Gabriel was a fool.”

“You let us think you were some kind of victim. We _trusted_ you! We--” 

As much as she tries not, she feels stupid. She spent years welcoming Emilie into her own family, being so happy that her return was making Adrien happy. And then to learn that the whole time she was just faking it? To earn their trust? So she could probably use her _spare key_ to slip into their home and steal the butterfly miraculous?

“Gabriel wanted to save your life,” Ladybug bites out. “What’s _your_ endgame, Emilie?”

“I hardly think that’s any of your business,” Hawkmoth drawls. She draws her blade from her cane, reminding Ladybug that she married into a family of champion fencers. Hawkmoth lunges forward, but Ladybug manages to dodge in time. “And honestly, Marinette,” Hawkmoth continues, sounding every bit like kind woman she pretended to be, “how many times do I have to tell you to call me ‘mother’?”


	24. Girl Squad - Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's girlfriends know something is wrong.

Alix requests that Marinette help her design something for a mural she’s making, so Marinette heads there one Saturday afternoon. When Alix brings her up to her room, she’s greeted by all of their other girlfriends, a cake, and Juleka’s big bag of makeup and other makeover items that graces every sleepover party.

Rose yells “surprise” while everyone else glances at her in confusion.

Marinette looks at the banner behind them that says “WE <3 MARI” and blinks. “Okay, I’m lost.”

“Yeah,” Alix says with a sigh. “Honestly, I helped with planning and so am I.”

“You know it’s not my birthday, right?”

Alya rolls her eyes. “Obviously. That’s why the banner doesn’t say Happy Birthday!”

“Oh, wow, that made things so much clearer.”

Rose cuts Marinette off by tackling her with a hug. For someone so small, Rose is awfully strong, and her hug is certainly tight. Marinette hugs her back, but still looks at them all in confusion. When Rose finally pulls away, she shrugs. “You just seem...” 

Juleka picks up where Rose trails off. “Sad.”

“And not Adrien sad!” Alya is quick to point out, making everyone wince. She cringes when she hears what she said. “We know. We _know_ it’s not that.” 

“Alya!” Alix hisses.

“Moratorium! Right.”

“We just know you’re sad,” Mylene says, “and we want you to know we love you. We love you so, so much.”

“Oh.”

Marinette looks down as she blinks back her tears. She thought she’d been doing a good job hiding everything -- her sadness, her loneliness, her stress. Marinette tries not to cry because she’s been training herself not to feel but she’s also been doing a bad job at it since all of her girlfriends have been able to tell how sad she’s been. 

She sniffs, and soon Rose grabs her again.

“Rose!” Marinette grunts. “Too tight!”

“Not tight enough,” Rose teases as she burrows closer.

With a laugh, Mylene tells them, “Come on, girls!” and charges at Marinette too. Alix gets her from the black, while Juleka and Alya are on her other sides.

Marinette stands there awkwardly, surrounded by her dearest friends and their hugs and their love, and when she cries, it’s not because she’s sad.


	25. Fashion Design - Clara Nightingale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette designs outfits for Clara over the years.

i.

When Clara first casts Marinette and soon gets to know her, she is absolutely certain that this girl is destined for greatness. She’s kind and well-loved and so utterly talented. Clara checks out Marinette’s Instagram and is a bit put out to see she doesn’t post as many of her designs as she should. She has full faith in her capabilities though so reaches out to her with a request anyway.

“You want me to design a gown for you,” Marinette repeats, blinking at her as if the idea is absurd.

“That’s right. I do.” Clara grins. “If anyone could make me look lovely, I have no doubt that it’s you.”

Marinette shakes her head. “Your music video literally featured outfits by Gabriel Agreste _himself_. And now you want to go downgrade to–”

“Don’t sell yourself short! You’re greater than you think.” She looks at the swatches of fabric strewn about on Marinette’s desk. “Now I was thinking something long, something flowy–maybe something pink?”

“Oh.” Marinette nods slowly, as if confirming for herself that this is actually happening. “You’re serious.”

“Of course I’m serious, or I wouldn’t have pressed. I just know that with you, I’d be the best dressed.”

And so over the next few months, Marinette designs the loveliest gown of [dusty rose](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teenvogue.com%2Fstory%2Flily-collins-wears-a-rose-covered-dress-to-the-golden-globes-2017&t=NjcyOGUzY2U5ZTIwOGU0NTVhZmNkYmQzZDRkZmFkNzg2MTIyN2IyNSxBcG5Sb29JTg%3D%3D&b=t%3Atw1BcwdcC0lh7M_otRuTWg&p=https%3A%2F%2Fsun-summoning.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F183691984552%2F25-fashion-design-marinette-clara-nightingale&m=1) for her. It takes up virtually all of her free time and requires heaps of supplies that Clara can’t even name, but she gets them for Marinette anyway. The only thing Marinette seems to turn down is an assistant. 

Clara is positively radiant on the red carpet, twirling just so to show off her bodice embellished with rose appliques over a mesh that matches her skin. She glides along with her full, tulle skirt, and when she’s asked over and over who designed this gown for her, she refers everyone to Marinette’s Instagram account for her designs and commissions. 

Overnight, Marinette gains some thousand more followers and counting. 

.

.

.

ii.

Clara throws a grand party for her twenty-fifth birthday, something that wouldn’t be complete without an equally grand dress to turn everyone’s heads. She’s been dressed by countless fashion houses, but when it comes to these truly special moments, Clara can’t help but seek out Marinette again. 

“I know you’re still in university,” Clara says, “so I know you have school, but please, please, _please_ , Marinette. Your designs always rule!”

Marinette giggles, wondering when she ended up on a first-name basis with one of Europe’s most adored singers. Probably between the album cover she designed for her two years ago and the gown she wore when she won an award for it. “It’s fine, Clara. I’d love to.”

“Really?”

“How could I not?” Marinette opens her Instagram and switches to her design account. She’s certainly been gaining attention from other designers and models. More importantly, she’s been getting those commissions, which have been helping her stay afloat while in school. “I think I gain an extra thousand followers every time you tag me in one of your photos with my clothes.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“It definitely is. I am, after all, a fashion student with an uncertain future.” She pockets her phone, grinning widely. “I’d love to design your birthday dress for you, Clara. Did you have something particular in mind?”

“Anything you make will be perfect.”

“You have to give me _something_ to work with.”

“I believe in you, Marinette. You have free reign on colour, silhouette, whatever.” Clara claps her hands gleefully and then takes Marinette’s in hers. “I just want to be striking.”

“Alright,” Marinette agrees slowly, always eager to rise to a challenge. “I can do that.”

“And I want _pockets_.”

She laughs. “Oh, I can _definitely_ do that.”

.

.

.

iii.

For the first time, Marinette says no to Clara’s request for a gown. It’s not about money. Clara always provides her with whatever materials she needs and they always settle on a fair price. And it’s not about time, because Clara is asking nearly a year in advance. It could be about the amount of work, which Clara thinks is fair, but Marinette said it’s not that either.

Maybe it’s the pressure. Marinette, now interning, now really focusing on building her network and reputation, is afraid. Sure, she’s always been out there. A quick search to her name yields outfits worn by Clara herself, Jagged Stone, Luka Couffeine, and that doesn’t even include links to information about her achievements in various contests.

Designing Clara Nightingale’s wedding gown would draw a _lot_ of attention. Much more than anything else Marinette might have done in the past.

“I’d really love to,” Marinette tells her softly, “but I just…I can’t right now, Clara.”

“But why?” Clara insists. “I can hire someone to help you–”

“No, it’s just–I can’t.” Marinette shrugs. She sighs deeply and sips her tea to find something to do with her hands. 

Clara looks around Marinette’s one bedroom apartment and finds it strangely devoid of life and personality. She remembers Marinette’s childhood bedroom, pink and overflowing with little bits of what made Marinette the girl she is. There were photos of her friends, sketches tacked onto the wall, magazine cut outs, half-made mockups, and more. Here, Marinette seems to just come home and sleep. 

“Up until recently, my personal life has been….” Marinette rubs her neck. “There’s something I was really busy with. And now, well, now it’s over. And I have a lot of time on my hands,” she admits with a sad smile. “While that’s ideal for wedding gown making, I think…I think I really need it for me.”

There’s something about the droop in Marinette’s shoulders that makes Clara nod. She keeps tucking her hair back before brushing her bare ears. Clara wishes she could get Marinette to design her wedding gown, but she can’t force her to. Marinette just looks so sad. So worn down and uneasy. Like the idea of having time to herself is bittersweet.

To her knowledge, Marinette never had a pet, but she looks like she might have lost them. Or no, Clara decides, that’s not it. It’s more like she lost a dear friend.

Deciding to step up to that role, Clara smiles at her. “You’ll still come to the wedding though, right?”

“Huh?” Marinette blinks. “I’m invited?”

“What? Of course!” Clara reaches across the table and grabs Marinette’s hand. “You’re my favourite designer, Marinette, and you’re very dear to me. If I can’t get you dressing me, then I can at least make you eat dinner and drink some wine with me.”

“I’d…I’d like that.”

“And–” Clara curses herself for starting because now she can’t stop. “You can say no, but what if you design something for my rehearsal dinner then? That’ll be fairly low key, I promise–”

“Okay.”

Clara blinks because she didn’t actually expect to succeed here. “Okay?”

Marinette nods slowly. “Okay. I can use the work,” she says, sounding like she’s trying to convince herself that the dress wouldn’t be a distraction. “What were you thinking?”

Clara shakes her head as she stands. Marinette reacts, standing as well, so Clara pulls her into a hug. “Focus on yourself for now, Mari. We can deal with my dress another day.”

.

.

.

iv.

Meeting with Marinette no longer happens in bedrooms above the bakery or in sad, bare apartments. This time, Clara visits Marinette’s studio, marvelling at the pieces that are on display before meeting with her favourite designer herself. Marinette soon rushes out in a green smock that really just makes pregnant look all sorts of chic.

Clara greets her with kisses before shaking her hand like it’s a joke. Her gaze falls down to Marinette’s middle and she grins.

“What are you at now? Six months?”

Marinette sighs heavily. “And counting.” She rubs her abdomen. “To be fair, I don’t think it’s this little one that’s making me so tired.”

Clara nods, knowing that Marinette’s ever-growing name also comes with a lot of demand. Moreover, a need for constant exposure. And Marinette always seems to forget that she married into fashion royalty. Or maybe she’s well aware of that, Clara considers. Maybe she’s trying to prove herself beyond everyone’s presumptions by _heavily_ overcompensating.

“Did you make that dress yourself?” Clara asks.

Marinette’s face twists into a scowl. “Maternity dresses always look so frumpy. And the non-maternity dresses that can work with my stomach always look strange on my chest.”

Clara practically shakes in giddiness. “Do I sense an MDC maternity collection in the near future?”

“More like one titled afterbirth that is largely sweat pants and with prints that resemble spit up.” But Marinette pauses, genuinely considering a possibility of maternity clothes. “Or perhaps…actual dresses that fit properly. And then after that, matching outfits for mothers and daughters?” 

It all comes out like a question, but Clara knows Marinette is completely zoning out, especially when she reaches for her sketchbook. Clara keeps her mouth shut, preferring to spend this time watching Marinette’s creative process. After all, she technically came here to commission MDC into creating something for herself and her daughter for the girl’s tenth birthday.

“And suits!” Marinette continues. “And then little baby suits–” She cuts herself off with something between a squeal and a cry. She sniffles and then rests her hands on her belly. “I just–that would be so _cute_.”

“It would be,” Clara agrees.

Marinette turns to her, as if remembering she’s there, and then promptly flushes. “Sorry,” she mumbles. She laughs sheepishly. She closes her sketchbook and moves it to the other end of the table. “You came here for a reason. So how can I help you, madame?

Clara pulls the sketchbook back and pushes it Marinette’s way. “Continue with that, won’t you?”

“I can do that later,” Marinette protests.

But Clara considers the image Marinette had been in the process of sketching, a woman and a little girl in matching sheath dresses adorned with roses. 

“Nonsense.” Clara leans back in her chair. “I want [whatever you’re making](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Ffashion-shows%2Ffall-2015-ready-to-wear%2Fdolce-gabbana&t=YmZlMGM1YWFjMjk2NDc0NDk0ZjI3YWQ1OWMwZDUzNGMyZmJmZThkMixBcG5Sb29JTg%3D%3D&b=t%3Atw1BcwdcC0lh7M_otRuTWg&p=https%3A%2F%2Fsun-summoning.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F183691984552%2F25-fashion-design-marinette-clara-nightingale&m=1).”

.

.

.

v.

When Clara is set to celebrate her induction to _L’Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur_ for her contributions to the arts, she asks Marinette to design her dress for the ceremony because just who else is there?

The morning of the ceremony, they’re alone in Clara’s suite as Marinette ensures that everything fits Clara the way it should. The navy neckline settle just off her shoulders, looking tasteful but still elegant for this special event. [The dress](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elle.com%2Ffashion%2Fcelebrity-style%2Fa20747058%2Fmeghan-markle-night-before-wedding-roland-mouret-dress%2F&t=YzE2YWE1NDQ0ZTM5NDk5OTgyZTMyZTY4ZjhmMWNmNGM5YjM4NzdjOSxBcG5Sb29JTg%3D%3D&b=t%3Atw1BcwdcC0lh7M_otRuTWg&p=https%3A%2F%2Fsun-summoning.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F183691984552%2F25-fashion-design-marinette-clara-nightingale&m=1) is much simpler than anything Marinette has ever made her before, but Clara positively adores the waterfall handkerchief that adorns the right side of the knee-length skirt. 

When she’s finished looking over every single stitch, Marinette stands straight, takes a step back, and assesses Clara in the dress.

“Satisfied?”

After a moment, Marinette nods, making Clara roll her eyes. “The dress is _fine_ , Marinette.”

“It’s–”

“Polished, professional, perfect for this event.”

“I know.” Marinette shakes her head and that seems to remove her from her stupor because she’s smiling. “I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but congratulations, Clara. This is a great honour.”

“You’re coming tomorrow night, right?” Clara is throwing a party to celebrate her new status as _Chevalier_ among her family and friends. It would be only fitting that Marinette, who designed tomorrow night’s dress as well, was in attendance.

Marinette shakes her head though. “Emma has a recital,” she explains. 

“And you have a Spring line to design.”

“And I have a Spring line to design.” Marinette laughs. “Although only _after_ Emma’s recital.”

Clara nods, knowing just how much family matters to Marinette. She almost snorts when she recalls that all of Paris (and even the world) knows that, if her line of matching outfits for parents and children a few years ago was anything to go by.

Before Marinette finally leaves, Clara grabs her hand.

“What’s up?” Marinette asks. It’s not like this dress is particularly finicky, unlike her other designs. 

Clara just pulls her close. She knows she might be wrinkling Marinette’s hard work, but this hug feels more important. 

She’s grown so much since being the kind-hearted teenager that starred in her music video decades ago. They both have. Marinette is almost her height now, and she’s a woman with a career and husband and three kids at home. 

“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but you really are amazing, Marinette.”

“Isn’t today about _your_ lifetime achievements?” Marinette teases.

Clara draws back and pats Marinette’s cheek. “I’ve won more than enough best dressed awards to prove that keeping you by my side is one of those achievements.” 

Marinette bites her lip. She pulls away and grabs her bag of supplies. She moves to leave, but Clara calls her name when she gets to the door. 

“I’m so lucky to have been able to watch your talents flourish.” Clara beams at Marinette Dupain-Cheng with pride. “I can’t wait to see what you do next.”


	26. Jagged Stone - Jagged, Penny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jagged Stone makes Marinette an offer.

The summer after lycée, Marinette gets the most incredible opportunity. Jagged Stone is completing the first leg of his European tour, and he wants Marinette to be part of his styling team. At first she’s utterly flabbergasted, because this is _Jagged Stone_ and he wants _her_ but then she remembers that this is Jagged Stone and he’s had faith in her abilities since she was thirteen.

Naturally, Penny laughs at her reaction. “Honestly, Marinette. I don’t feel like you’re reminded of how amazing you are often enough.”

“She’s right,” Jagged agrees from the couch he’s sitting on with Fang. “Penny, remind me to write a song for Marinette.”

“You don’t have to do that!”

Penny proceeds to explain the tour schedule and basic ins and outs of what being on the road with them might mean. She’s mentioned dozens of cities but Marinette has largely zoned her out.

Jagged Stone wants to hire her as a stylist. 

Sure, she wouldn’t be designing per se, but this is definitely relevant and this will definitely be something amazing to put on her resume. And best of all, she can _do_ this.

Ever since Hawk Moth’s reign of terror was quietly put to an end and Ladybug and Chat Noir disappeared, Marinette’s life has been surprisingly mundane. She lets the theorist on the internet try to deduce what happened to Paris’ super-powered few and lives her life because now she finally can. 

“–so what do you think, Marinette?” Penny asks.

Jagged grins and somehow Fang does too. “You ready to rock and roll?”

There are definitely some things she’ll need to work out – like getting her parents’ blessing, like turning the miracle box into something actually transportable, like telling Penny that she has a cat and asking if she can bring said cat on the road with them – but Marinette doesn’t hesitate. 

Marinette doesn’t _need_ to hesitate anymore. 


	27. Dear Diary - Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette finds Chloe's diary and returns it to her.

Interacting with Chloe hasn’t gotten any better in the years since Marinette started standing up to her bullying, so Marinette just wants to get this interaction over with as soon as possible. She approaches Chloe when Sabrina isn’t there to spare her any embarrassment. But, of course, Chloe would never have the sense to acknowledge that kind of kindness.

“Just take it,” Marinette pushes, shoving the diary she found closer to Chloe. “It’s yours.”

Chloe regards the pink book warily. She’s probably wondering where she left it. She swipes it away ferociously and shoves it into her bag. When she looks back at Marinette, her face is contorted with sadness more than her usual repressed rage. 

“Did you read it?” Chloe asks. Then she scoffs. “Then again, why would you need to? You’ve already seen firsthand how much mother not only doesn’t love me, but doesn’t have any regard for me whatsoever.”

“Chloe–”

“And what else is there?” Chloe laughs humourlessly. “Oh, how I ruin virtually every relationship I am part of? What about how no one actually loves me, nor will they _ever_ love me? And, oh, how the only redeemable thing about me is how well I can pull off yellow!”

“I didn’t read your diary.”

“Right.”

“Chloe, I only opened it long enough to see who it belonged to.” Marinette doesn’t waste her time on a comforting smile, knowing Chloe wouldn’t appreciate it. “Your feelings are your own. I would never intrude.” 

“Oh.” She swallows. “Well. Whatever.” 

Marinette looks up at the ceiling, wondering why she ever thought this might be an amiable interaction. Then again, considering all of Chloe’s bitter remarks have only been directed to herself, maybe this conversation wasn’t so bad. 

Not expecting any sort of thanks, Marinette turns to get to class.

“I want to be better,” Chloe says softly, making Marinette falter. “I know–I _know_ I’ve done terrible things. Ladybug doesn’t trust me anymore. She probably never will. And I…I deserve that.”

Marinette turns back to her but keeps silent.

“Maybe you should read it,” Chloe mutters. “I’m trying, okay? And not because Adrien basically said he wouldn’t be my friend otherwise and not because I miss Ladybug believing in me.” Chloe smiles, but there’s no joy in it. “This is, obviously, about me.”

Marinette snorts. “Obviously.”

“I just…I don’t want to be that girl anymore.” Chloe stares at her with glassy eyes and Marinette finds the vulnerability she works so hard to hide with aggression. But Marinette and Ladybug have given Chloe too many chances to not let her take the first step forward. “Honestly, how do you do it, Dupain-Cheng?” Chloe shakes her head. “You’re so…so _nice_. To the point of _stupid_ sometimes, but nice. Everyone loves you. Even my mother…” 

“Chloe…”

“I just want to be someone that can be–” Chloe bites her tongue, refusing to finish that sentence, but Marinette knows better.

“Loved?”

Chloe sniffs at the word. She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a series of deep breaths. “I’m wearing, like, two hundred euros worth of make up,” she mutters. “I will _not_ cry.”

“Just keep on doing what you’re doing,” Marinette advises. 

Sure, Chloe can definitely do better, but at this point, simply not being an asshole is enough. Marinette would hardly call her nice, but she’s at least bearable nowadays. 

Sensing their conversation is over, Marinette makes to walk away again. She’s a few steps away when Chloe calls her name.

“Thank…you,” Chloe tells her. Her face is twisted as if saying the words was a battle. “For, you know, returning my diary. And not reading it.”

“Of course.”

“And for listening.” Chloe nods at her because she sure as hell isn’t going to smile. “Thank you, Marinette.”


	28. Alternate Career - Audrey

Years later, Audrey Bourgeois still recognizes her. Marinette is shocked by this considering the woman she’s talking to, but Audrey just waves a hand, nearly spilling the cocktail she’s sipping.

“As if I’d ever forget the girl who turned down the opportunity of a lifetime.” Audrey sips her drink. “So?”

“Yes?”

“Well where are you studying?”

Considering she knew her mother would deign to attend, Chloe’s birthday is much more extravagant than usual. Beyond friends, there are a number of other politicians, celebrities, and Parisian elites in attendance. Why Audrey Bourgeois not only sought her out to talk, but is _still_ talking to her, Marinette cannot fathom.

“ESMOD?” Audrey presses. “IFA? IFM?”

Marinette shakes her head. She swallows because this is a sore spot that’s never going to heal. “No,” she replies. “None of them.”

Audren frowns. “They rejected you?”

“No, I…” Marinette swallows thickly. “I never applied. I don’t design anymore.”

Marinette has long since given up her dreams of fashion. It hurt. Oh, how it hurt. There was a reason she ended up with the miraculous of creation, and to ignore its call still feels so unnatural. But Marinette is talented and she knows she is, and she knows if she pursued the career path she wanted, she would have gotten it. She _knows_ she would have succeeded and she knows what kind of attention comes with success. And how can she live with attention when she has a second full-time job guarding the miraculous?

So Marinette stopped. She closed her online shop. She stopped entering contests and she put her sketchbooks in boxes in the closet and she decided to find an alternate path for herself that would allow her to lay low for the rest of her life.

Marinette doesn’t design anymore.

“What?” Audrey looks positively rattled, looking around as if Marinette might be playing some kind of joke on her. “But that’s ridiculous. Simply _ridiculous_.”

“Madame–”

“You have actual talent,” Audrey presses. “How could you just _stop_?”

Marinette shrugs. She’s gotten this question so many times over the years from everyone who knew her passion and talent growing up. Alya was hard to shake and Adrien was even worse. They have a theory it has something to do with some kind of critique that devastated her, and Marinette doesn’t really try to make them think otherwise.

“I just have some other obligations,” Marinette replies. “And I…lost interest.”

“Lost interest?” Audrey shakes her head. She finishes off her drink and when a waiter passes by, she deposits the glass on his tray. She crosses her arms, assessing the dress Marinette is wearing tonight. “Did you make that?”

“I did.” Fine, maybe she didn’t stop designing entirely. But it was honestly just more efficient to make her own clothes. 

That just seems to infuriate Audrey even more. “You have real, raw talent, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I hope whatever obligations are holding you back get resolved or someone else takes over for you because…” Audrey sighs heavily. “For you to not succeed? That’d be a great shame.”


	29. Mominette - Louis

“Papa,” Adrien whispers to their son like clockwork. “Papa. Come on, Louis, you can do it. _Papa_.”

Marinette just shakes her head, smiling fondly. Adrien’s been working very hard to ensure that Louis’ first word would be ‘papa’. But he’s also been pressing her make this a fair fight, reminding her to say ‘mama’ just as often. 

“And who’s that?” Adrien asks, pointing her way. Louis twists in his arms to start making grabby hands at her. “Do you want mama?”

Louis says nothing resembling actual words, opting for showing off the teeth he currently has and letting loose a dribble of drool. 

“ _Marinette_ ,” Adrien whines. “You have to at least _try_ to compete!” 

“Oh. Right.” She clears her throat and then coos, “Mama.” She has to play along with Adrien’s competition as he transfers Louis into her arms. “Can you say ‘mama’, my little kitten?”

Louis just burrows his face into her shoulder. Marinette presses her cheek against him, while Adrien rests one hand on her back and the other on their son’s head. Plagg and Tikki come by, the latter allowing them peace, while the former hovers by Louis’ ear.

“Plagg,” he whispers. “Plagg. Plagg. Plagg.”

“Plagg!” Adrien frowns. “You are not invited to this competition.”

“Oh, please. It would be an _honour_ upon this household if your boy’s first word was _my_ name.”

Adrien and Plagg begin to bicker, so Marinette makes her way over to the nursery to put Louis to sleep. Tikki comes in and Marinette closes the door behind them. She knows she should put Louis into his crib to sleep on his own, but she can’t help but settle into the rocking chair and cuddle him close.

Louis makes a noise as he shuffles about. He throws his head back briefly, his little mouth stretching into a wide yawn. His eyes stay scrunched shut though. 

“Go to sleep, Louis,” Marinette murmurs. “You and papa had a long day today.”

She’s not particularly sure what they did, but Marinette knows that when she came home from work earlier that evening, dinner was in the oven while Adrien was fast asleep on the couch with Louis draped over his chest and Plagg plopped over Louis’ hair.

Louis acknowledges her by stretching his arms and then burying them under his body. He nuzzles her and she tries not to coo.

As he slowly falls asleep, Marinette begins her nightly routine. “Papa,” she whispers against the crown of his head. “You have to say ‘papa’, my little kitten.” She kisses him. “ _Papa_. Not m–” She pauses. “Not the m-word. _Papa_. Papa, papa, papa.”

Tikki watches her watch Louis. “You’re as sweet as ever, Marinette.”

Marinette’s smile is hidden by Louis’ hair. She can only imagine the way Adrien will light up if the first comprehensible word to come out of their son’s mouth is ‘papa’. He wants to give her a fair chance, but Marinette just wants to give him that joy. He’s a doting husband and wonderful father. He loves their son more than anything, so she leans into Louis and continues chanting.

“Papa, papa, papa…”


	30. Breaking Point - Chat Noir

Chat Noir comes to her later that night, hours after he had to stop her when she was an akuma. He drops in through the hatch and lands across from her.

“Hey,” he awkwardly greets. He stops rubbing the back of his neck when he notices Marinette with a number of kwami he’s never even seen before surrounding her. 

“Hello,” she replies. Her voice is still raw and rough, still sad and terse. She sounds as broken as she was earlier, making Chat Noir flinch.

He never thought there’d come a day where he had to fight against his partner like that. It’s one thing to be compelled to fight each other by an akuma, it’s another for one of them to be under control, but her Ladybug to be the akuma herself – Chat Noir shudders at the memory.

Marinette waves a hand, and the kwami return to the miracle box. Tikki is nowhere to be seen, so Chat Noir pretends they’re alone.

“I’m sorry I found out your identity.”

“Don’t be. It might not even matter soon.”

“What?”

“We were just talking.” Marinette nods at the miracle box. “Some of the kwami have suggested that maybe you take over.”

“ _What_?!”

“They want me to make you the next Guardian,” she repeats. She laughs but it comes out bitter. “But I can’t do that to you.”

Chat Noir considers how his partner has seemed since Master Fu was taken out of the picture. Hell, how _Marinette_ has seemed. They’ve both been so tired, so quiet, so withdrawn. He shakes his head, baffled that he never noticed, that he never did something to help her.

He can now, he thinks. “I’d do anything for you, my lady. If you need me to become the next guardian, I will.”

“Well you _shouldn’t,_ ” she snaps. Marinette cries and then she scowls, probably angry at herself for crying because she just broke free of Hawkmoth’s control and making herself vulnerable again would be risky. “Master Fu was all alone dealing with for who knows how long. And then he had to wait his whole life to be with the woman he loves. I played Guardian for a year and I feel like I’ve lost almost everything.” 

Marinette regards the miracle box with a wary sort of disdain that Chat Noir finds unnerving. 

“This isn’t a blessing. It isn’t an honour. It’s a _curse_.”


	31. Kwami Swap - Mister Bug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette saves Mister Bug.

Marinette is in her own skin when she somehow manages to save Mister Bug from their current akuma. She curses herself for not learning from last time. Why did she take off her earrings? Didn’t she know better? She doesn’t waste too much time on that though, because at least Tikki somehow got the earrings to Chat Noir. But like why was Chat Noir apart from his miraculous _too_? Too many questions.

Now if only Plagg would appear to her with the ring. She looks around wildly while Mister Bug just grins down at her.

“Man, Marinette, you’re really something else.”

“Hm?”

He laughs. “That was quite the save earlier. Maybe _you_ should be wearing these earrings.”

Marinette stops searching for Plagg to glare at him, appalled that he just offered her miraculous to a stranger.

“Er, not that I’d ever let you!” he adds. “Of course, not that I don’t think you’d make a great hero! We both know you were great–” He leans in with a wink, “–Mouseinette.” 

The stupid name just makes her more annoyed, but, as always, her kitty doesn’t even notice. 

“Granted, Ladybug did trust you with her miraculous _and_ mine before.” Mister Bug stares at her with wide eyes that tell her he’s connecting dots in his head but whatever he’s coming up with isn’t that smart. “Marinette!”

“No,” she vetoes before he can share whatever he’s thinking.

“You didn’t even let me finish!”

“I don’t care.” She’s saved by a crash outside that makes them both flinch. She nods in the general direction. “I think that’s your cue, Mister Bug.”

“Duty calls.” Before walking away, he cocks his head a fraction and smirks. “A good luck kiss for your hero, perhaps?”

“ _I_ saved _you_!”

“Good point.” Mister Bug takes her hand and presses his lips upon her knuckles. “Stay safe, Princess.”

When he’s finally out of sight, Marinette shakes her head. “You here, Plagg?”

“God, he’s so embarrassing,” Plagg mutters. He zips out of hiding and tosses Marinette the ring.

“ _Seriously_. He’s lucky he’s cute.” Marinette slides the ring onto her finger and says the magic words.

Finally transformed, Lady Noire goes to join her partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
